British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels leading to the depot... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of British forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," Healey commented. "They were part of thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to remove militants who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the US military executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
