British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of access tunnels providing entry to the site... early reports are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action underscores British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," he added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel stationed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, shows how British military are ready to step up, all year round, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
