British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," Healey commented. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over the holidays. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, highlights how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an assault killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
