RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of approach shafts down to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of British forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over the holidays. This action, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how British military are ready to step up, all year round, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
