Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels leading to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," he added. "They were among thousands of UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to remove militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, following an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
