Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several entry passages down to the site... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, following an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
