RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of approach shafts down to the site... initial indications indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters 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 before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their bravery," Healey added. "They were part of numerous British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, shows how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces executed what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, after an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
