RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey said. "They were among a great many British personnel on duty over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
