British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were a great many British troops deployed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate militants who threaten our way of life, highlights how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
