British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK's MoD.
The site, located using surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of a great many UK service members on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
