British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of access tunnels down to the facility... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were a great many British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the US military carried out what it called a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
