RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our way of life, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
