British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The location, located using intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of access tunnels down to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their valour," he added. "Including them were a great many British personnel on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate militants who threaten our way of life, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
