British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their bravery," he commented. "They were part of a great many UK service members stationed over the holidays. This action, to remove militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the US military carried out what it termed a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
