Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... early reports suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous UK service members deployed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, shows how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
