Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several entry passages providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - also known as ISIS - imposed militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, demonstrates 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 called a "major assault" against Daesh sites in the country, following an assault killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
