British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several access tunnels leading to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among thousands of British troops stationed over the festive period. This action, to remove militants who threaten our safety, shows how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an ambush killed two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
