British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of entry passages providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among thousands of UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
