LONDON, Oct. 25 - British women will be granted the right to apply for any role in the military for the first time, the country's defense secretary said on Thursday.

Gavin Williamson said that women serving in the Army are now able to transfer into infantry roles, including the special forces, such as the Special Air Service.

"I am absolutely delighted to announce that all roles in the military are now open to women," he said on his Twitter account.

"Our Armed Forces will now be determined by ability alone and not gender. This is a truly defining moment in the history of the Armed Forces," the secretary added.

The British Ministry of Defense called it an historic day.

A ban on women serving in close combat units in the British military was lifted in 2016.

Local media has said since then, about 35 women have either served in, or been trained to join, the Royal Armoured Corps.