British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of access tunnels leading to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of a great many British personnel on duty over the festive period. This action, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
