British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of entry passages down to the facility... early reports suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their courage," Healey added. "They were among numerous UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN reports IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
