British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several access tunnels down to the depot... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous UK service members stationed over the festive period. This mission, to take out militants who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
