RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels down to the depot... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of IS after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "Including them were numerous British personnel stationed over the festive period. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it called a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
