Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria used by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of entry passages leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were part of thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out militants who threaten our security, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the US military carried out what it described as a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN says Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
