British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, located using surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of entry passages down to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over the festive period. This action, to take out militants who endanger our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military conducted what it called a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
