British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of entry passages providing entry to the facility... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of British forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were among numerous British personnel deployed over the holidays. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our safety, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "major assault" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
