British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," Healey added. "Including them were numerous British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the US military carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, following an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
