British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The site, identified by intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several entry passages leading to the facility... early reports suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of British forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of thousands of UK service members deployed over the festive period. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces executed what it described as a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
