British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their valour," Healey added. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
