Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several approach shafts down to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members on duty over the holidays. This mission, to remove militants who threaten our way of life, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it described as a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
