Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of a great many British personnel stationed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our safety, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the US military carried out what it described as a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
