RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria used by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of British forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their courage," he said. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over the festive period. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our security, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
