British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels providing entry to the site... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their bravery," he commented. "They were among thousands of British personnel stationed over the holidays. This action, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military carried out what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, following an assault killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
