Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their courage," he said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, shows how British military are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
