RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - established jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," Healey commented. "They were part of thousands of British personnel stationed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, shows how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
