British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of access tunnels leading to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of a great many UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
