British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the IS group, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their courage," he added. "They were among thousands of UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
