Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as Daesh - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of a great many British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our safety, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
