RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of entry passages providing entry to the depot... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among thousands of British personnel stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the US military executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
