RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of numerous UK service members on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our security, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
