Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, identified by surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several approach shafts providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in 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 re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," Healey commented. "They were among numerous British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
