British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike against an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - imposed militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of British forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," Healey said. "They were part of thousands of British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, following an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
