RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of entry passages down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - established militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were thousands of British troops stationed over the holidays. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
