British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their bravery," he added. "They were among thousands of British troops deployed over the festive period. This action, to remove militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
