RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several approach shafts providing entry to the site... early reports suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their valour," he commented. "They were part of numerous British personnel stationed over the festive period. This operation, to take out militants who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
