British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of approach shafts providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores our UK 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," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among thousands of British personnel on duty over the festive period. This operation, to take out militants who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it called a "major assault" on IS targets in Syria, following an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
