Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of access tunnels down to the facility... initial indications indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their courage," he added. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove militants who endanger our safety, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an attack killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
