British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike on an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several entry passages down to the site... early reports are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as Daesh - imposed militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of numerous UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, shows how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
