Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," Healey said. "They were part of a great many British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate militants who endanger our way of life, shows how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces executed what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
