British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of entry passages down to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military conducted what it termed a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
