RAF Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of entry passages leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
