RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," he said. "They were part of a great many British personnel stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our way of life, shows how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
