RAF Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, located using intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of approach shafts down to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were a great many British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK at home and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
