British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an subterranean weapons facility in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several access tunnels providing entry to the facility... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their valour," he added. "Including them were a great many British personnel on duty over the festive period. This action, to take out militants who threaten our security, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in Syria, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
