Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the IS group, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of approach shafts providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove militants who endanger our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces executed what it called a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
