RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several entry passages leading to the facility... early reports suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of thousands of UK service members deployed over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
