British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of approach shafts leading to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this operation for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among thousands of UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our security, shows how British military are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military carried out what it called a "massive strike" on IS targets in the country, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
