Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of a great many British troops stationed over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in the country, following an attack killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
