British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - established extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of numerous British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces executed what it called a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
