British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria operated by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," he added. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over the festive period. This action, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
