Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of entry passages providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," he said. "They were part of thousands of British personnel on duty over the festive period. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
