RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of entry passages down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were a great many UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
In December, the US military conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
