RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were a great many British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military conducted what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
