British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a several access tunnels leading to the depot... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces participating in this strike for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were numerous British personnel deployed over the holidays. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
