British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of entry passages down to the depot... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their valour," he said. "They were among a great many British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
