Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a combined operation on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several approach shafts down to the depot... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," Healey commented. "Including them were a great many UK service members deployed over the holidays. This operation, to take out militants who threaten our safety, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the US military conducted what it described as a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
