Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts leading to the facility... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were a great many British troops deployed over the holidays. This mission, to remove militants who threaten our safety, shows how British military are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces executed what it described as a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
