Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of entry passages down to the site... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their skill and their courage," he added. "Including them were numerous British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an assault killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
