British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "Including them were numerous British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces executed what it termed a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, following an assault killed two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
