RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
