Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison 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 said.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their valour," Healey commented. "They were part of thousands of British troops on duty over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, after an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
