Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among thousands of British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" against 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 Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
