RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of access tunnels down to the facility... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of thousands of UK service members on duty over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military carried out what it described as a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
Eva de Vries is a passionate book lover and local writer from Eindhoven.
