British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were among thousands of UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out militants who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" targeting IS targets in Syria, following an ambush killed two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
