Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of approach shafts leading to the site... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - imposed militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and determination to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," he added. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces executed what it described as a "massive strike" on IS targets in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
