Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several approach shafts leading to the depot... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action shows British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their valour," he added. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it termed a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
