British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack 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 surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this mission for their skill and their bravery," he added. "They were among numerous British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, shows how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military executed what it called a "massive strike" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
