British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several entry passages providing entry to the site... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their valour," Healey said. "They were among thousands of UK service members stationed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
