Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of approach shafts leading to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," he said. "Including them were numerous British troops on duty over the holidays. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, shows how British military are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces executed what it termed a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
