Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, located using intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several entry passages down to the facility... early reports are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, shows how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in the country, after an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
