British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was located in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of approach shafts down to the facility... early reports are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - established jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces involved in this strike for their skill and their courage," Healey commented. "They were part of a great many British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
