Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was located in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of entry passages providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were thousands of British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
