British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The site, located using surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several access tunnels down to the facility... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their courage," he added. "They were part of numerous British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove militants who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
