British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation on an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels down to the depot... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - established militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of British forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among a great many British personnel stationed over the festive period. This action, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the US military conducted what it described as a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
