British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of access tunnels providing entry to the site... early reports are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were a great many British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an attack killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
