British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The location, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of approach shafts leading to the depot... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members on duty over the holidays. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our security, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
