RAF Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an assault killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
