Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their valour," Healey commented. "They were among thousands of UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out militants who endanger our safety, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, following an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
