British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a combined operation on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," Healey added. "Including them were numerous British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
