British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," he added. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over the festive period. This action, to take out militants who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
