RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of approach shafts providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their skill and their courage," he commented. "They were among thousands of British troops stationed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN says IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
