British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of entry passages leading to the site... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their courage," Healey commented. "They were part of thousands of British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to take out militants who threaten our security, highlights how British military are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces conducted what it called a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in the country, after an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
