Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels leading to the site... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to stamp out any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their valour," Healey commented. "They were part of a great many British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate militants who threaten our way of life, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
