RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of access tunnels down to the site... initial indications are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over parts of 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 revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," he commented. "They were part of numerous British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN estimates IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in both countries.
