British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their courage," he said. "They were among thousands of UK service members deployed over the holidays. This action, to remove militants who threaten our way of life, shows how British military are ready to step up, all year round, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the US military executed what it called a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
