Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of British forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their courage," he added. "Including them were thousands of UK service members on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
