Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," Healey added. "Including them were thousands of UK service members deployed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
