British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, located using surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, shows how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the US military conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.