RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK's MoD.
The site, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among numerous British troops stationed over the holidays. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
