RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of access tunnels down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces involved in this strike for their skill and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were among numerous British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" against IS targets in the country, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
