British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, located using surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among thousands of UK service members stationed over the holidays. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
