RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of entry passages leading to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of a great many British troops stationed over the festive period. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, shows how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
