RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of entry passages providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," Healey said. "They were part of numerous UK service members stationed over the festive period. This action, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our security, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
