Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of access tunnels down to the site... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many British personnel stationed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate militants who threaten our safety, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
