British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - enforced militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their courage," Healey commented. "They were among a great many British personnel on duty over the holidays. This action, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" targeting IS targets in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
