British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of entry passages leading to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their bravery," Healey said. "They were part of numerous British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in the country, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
