British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the IS group, according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several access tunnels providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - enforced militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among thousands of British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack killed two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
