RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - imposed militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," Healey added. "They were part of thousands of British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces carried out what it called a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
