RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of entry passages providing entry to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," he said. "They were part of thousands of British personnel on duty over the holidays. This action, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how British military are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces executed what it called a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of 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 both countries.
