British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of approach shafts leading to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike 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 - also known as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces involved in this operation for their skill and their courage," he said. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over the festive period. This action, to eliminate militants who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" against IS targets in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
