Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several entry passages providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as Daesh - established militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," he added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel stationed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our security, shows how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, following an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
