British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK's MoD.
The site, identified by surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of approach shafts down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey added. "They were part of a great many British personnel on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our security, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, after an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
