British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of access tunnels down to the depot... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces involved in this strike for their skill and their courage," he commented. "They were among a great many UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
