British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of entry passages down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as Daesh - established jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were a great many British troops stationed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate militants who threaten our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
