Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of approach shafts leading to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their valour," he added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel stationed over the festive period. This mission, to remove militants who threaten our security, shows how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military conducted what it termed a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
