British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were among thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our safety, shows how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
