Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the IS group, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of access tunnels down to the facility... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," Healey added. "Including them were a great many British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate militants who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the US military carried out what it described as a "major assault" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
