British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of British forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of thousands of British personnel 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 always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "major assault" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
