Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several entry passages providing entry to the site... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces involved in this strike for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
