British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of access tunnels leading to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were thousands of British troops on duty over the festive period. This action, to remove militants who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
In December, the US military conducted what it called a "major assault" targeting IS targets in Syria, following an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
