RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages leading to the site... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their courage," Healey said. "Including them were a great many British personnel stationed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
