Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of approach shafts down to the facility... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were a great many UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate militants who endanger our safety, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
