British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack against an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK's MoD.
The location, located using surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "They were among thousands of British troops on duty over the holidays. This action, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, highlights how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
During December, the US military conducted what it termed a "major assault" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
