RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the IS group, according to the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of entry passages leading to the facility... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," he commented. "They were among numerous UK service members deployed over the holidays. This mission, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military carried out what it called a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
