Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, shows how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
