British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of access tunnels leading to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were among a great many UK service members deployed over the festive period. This mission, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military carried out what it described as a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
