British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of approach shafts leading to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - established jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their courage," Healey added. "They were among thousands of British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
