British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the IS group, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several approach shafts leading to the site... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their courage," he said. "They were part of thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out militants who endanger our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
In December, the US military conducted what it called a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
