RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their courage," Healey commented. "They were part of a great many UK service members stationed over the holidays. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
