British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several approach shafts leading to the site... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," he said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out militants who threaten our way of life, shows how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
