British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels leading to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among a great many British troops deployed over the holidays. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in the country, following an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
