Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... early reports suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," Healey said. "They were among thousands of UK service members deployed over the holidays. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, following an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
