Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an hidden munitions depot in Syria employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several entry passages down to the depot... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of British troops deployed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, shows how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
