British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed 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 announcement noted, and was located in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "Including them were thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This mission, to take out militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.