British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of entry passages providing entry to the depot... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their valour," he commented. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our security, shows how British military are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an assault killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.