RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of entry passages down to the facility... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of numerous British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, highlights how British military are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
