Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several entry passages leading to the facility... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows British leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were among numerous UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
