Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of entry passages down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," Healey added. "They were among numerous British personnel stationed over the festive period. This action, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how British military are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, following an attack killed two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
