Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of access tunnels leading to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were part of thousands of UK service members on duty over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, after an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
