Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages leading to the facility... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their courage," he commented. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our safety, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military executed what it termed a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
