British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force 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 facility, located using surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several access tunnels leading to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their valour," he commented. "They were among a great many British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our security, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
