Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of approach shafts leading to the facility... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces participating in this strike for their skill and their valour," he added. "They were among a great many British troops stationed over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate militants who threaten our safety, shows how British military are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
