British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey said.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" against IS targets in Syria, following an assault killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
