RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, located using intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several entry passages providing entry to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of British forces participating in this operation for their skill and their courage," Healey commented. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
