British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of approach shafts down to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were among numerous British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
During December, the US military conducted what it called a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
