Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several approach shafts providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among numerous British personnel deployed over the festive period. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, shows how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
