RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of approach shafts providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of British troops deployed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, shows how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
In December, the US military conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
