RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several entry passages leading to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our security, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, following an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
