RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of approach shafts leading to the facility... early reports are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their courage," Healey said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
