British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK's MoD.
The site, identified by intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of approach shafts down to the facility... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their valour," he added. "Including them were numerous British personnel on duty over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our safety, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military executed what it termed a "major assault" on IS targets in the country, following an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
