RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, located using intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of access tunnels down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," Healey said. "Including them were a great many UK service members stationed over the festive period. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
