Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of approach shafts leading to the site... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among a great many British personnel stationed over the festive period. This action, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military carried out what it called a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
