British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts leading to the site... early reports are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," he said. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an assault killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
