RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of British forces involved in this mission for their skill and their valour," he added. "They were among thousands of British personnel on duty over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the US military conducted what it called a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
