Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of approach shafts down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," he said. "They were part of a great many British personnel deployed over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how British military are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" on IS targets in the country, following an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
