Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of approach shafts leading to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were thousands of British troops stationed over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military carried out what it termed a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
