Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of entry passages leading to the depot... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among a great many UK service members stationed over the holidays. This action, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK at home and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces executed what it described as a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
