Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the IS group, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several approach shafts leading to the facility... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - established militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," he said. "They were part of numerous UK service members stationed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate militants who threaten our way of life, shows how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, following an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
