British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages down to the facility... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and determination to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their valour," Healey added. "They were among thousands of UK service members stationed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how British military are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
