RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of approach shafts providing entry to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey added. "They were part of numerous British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
