RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several access tunnels down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," Healey added. "They were part of thousands of British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our way of life, highlights how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
