British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... early reports suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," he said. "Including them were a great many British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in the country, after an attack killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
