Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of entry passages down to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," he added. "They were part of numerous British personnel deployed over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
