British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several access tunnels leading to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of British forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," he said. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
