Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in mountains just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of numerous British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out militants who threaten our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
