British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just to the 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 access tunnels leading to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of thousands of British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate militants who endanger our security, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
