Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels leading to the depot... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as ISIS - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
