RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of entry passages providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey added. "They were among a great many UK service members deployed over the holidays. This mission, to remove militants who endanger our security, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "major assault" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
