Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in hills just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of approach shafts leading to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their valour," Healey commented. "They were part of a great many British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, following an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
