Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages leading to the site... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their valour," he commented. "They were part of thousands of UK service members deployed over the holidays. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our security, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the US military executed what it termed a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
