Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of approach shafts leading to the depot... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among a great many UK service members deployed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
