Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of approach shafts leading to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their courage," he said. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over the holidays. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
In December, the US military executed what it described as a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
