Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several entry passages providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were among numerous British personnel deployed over the festive period. This mission, to remove militants who threaten our safety, shows how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, following an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
