RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The location, identified by surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several access tunnels down to the facility... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," he commented. "They were among thousands of UK service members stationed over the holidays. This action, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, highlights how British military are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
