British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several access tunnels down to the site... early reports suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
