RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, located using surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several entry passages down to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of British forces involved in this operation for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of thousands of British troops on duty over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how British military are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
