Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of approach shafts leading to the depot... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their courage," he added. "They were among thousands of British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, highlights how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the US military conducted what it called a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in the country, after an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
