Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of access tunnels down to the facility... early reports suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their bravery," he said. "They were part of thousands of UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, after an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
