British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The site, identified by intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of approach shafts providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces involved in this mission for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, shows how British military are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, after an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
