British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," Healey said. "Including them were numerous British troops on duty over the holidays. This mission, to take out militants who pose a risk to our security, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
