British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The location, identified by intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several access tunnels providing entry to the site... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of British forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," he commented. "Including them were thousands of British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate militants who threaten our way of life, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it described as a "major assault" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
