British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of entry passages leading to the facility... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their bravery," he said. "They were among numerous UK service members stationed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
