RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - established militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of thousands of British troops on duty over the holidays. This action, to eliminate militants who endanger our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military conducted what it termed a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
