British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of access tunnels providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" targeting IS targets in Syria, after an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
