Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several approach shafts providing entry to the site... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," he commented. "Including them were numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out militants who threaten our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
