RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on 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 containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our security, highlights how British military are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military executed what it described as a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
