Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," he added. "They were part of a great many British personnel on duty over the holidays. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
