British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed 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 casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their courage," Healey said. "They were part of thousands of British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
