Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," Healey said. "They were part of thousands of UK service members stationed over the festive period. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
