British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation against an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, located using surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several access tunnels down to the site... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were a great many British personnel stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, shows how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" against IS targets in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
