British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of British forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were part of thousands of UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" targeting IS targets in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
