RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several approach shafts leading to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of British forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," Healey said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, shows how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the US military carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN reports Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
