RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of approach shafts down to the site... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their courage," he commented. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to remove militants who threaten our security, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
In December, the US military carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, following an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
