RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of a great many British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the US military conducted what it described as a "major assault" against Daesh sites in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
