Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages down to the facility... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among numerous British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
