British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several access tunnels down to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," he commented. "Including them were numerous British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our security, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces executed what it termed a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
