Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of entry passages leading to the site... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our way of life, shows how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
