RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of entry passages down to the site... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of British forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," he said. "They were part of numerous British personnel deployed over the festive period. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
