Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - imposed militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their valour," he commented. "They were among numerous British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our security, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
