British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of entry passages providing entry to the facility... early reports are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over significant areas in Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their valour," he added. "Including them were numerous UK service members stationed over the holidays. This mission, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military carried out what it called a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
