British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several approach shafts down to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their bravery," he said. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
