RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as Daesh - established militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their courage," he added. "Including them were a great many British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our security, highlights how British military are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
