British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several approach shafts providing entry to the site... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among thousands of UK service members deployed over the holidays. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
