RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their courage," he said. "Including them were a great many British personnel on duty over the festive period. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, highlights how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
