RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several access tunnels down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" targeting IS targets in Syria, after an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN reports IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
