British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "Including them were thousands of British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it described as a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
