RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages leading to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," Healey added. "Including them were a great many British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
