Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike on an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of approach shafts leading to the site... early reports suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - established extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the US military executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
