British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory used by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of entry passages leading to the depot... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - enforced militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of numerous UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
