Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of approach shafts providing entry to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out militants who threaten our way of life, highlights how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it described as a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
