British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The site, located using intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of access tunnels leading to the site... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their valour," Healey said. "Including them were a great many UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
