RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of entry passages providing entry to the facility... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove militants who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
