British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The site, located using surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of entry passages leading to the facility... initial indications indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, shows how British military are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" against IS targets in the country, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
