British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of access tunnels providing entry to the site... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as Daesh - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their courage," he commented. "They were among numerous UK service members deployed over the festive period. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
