Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, located using intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," he said. "They were part of thousands of UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
