RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the IS group, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several access tunnels down to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were numerous UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
