British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force 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 location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of approach shafts down to the depot... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of our armed forces participating in this operation for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among numerous British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces executed what it described as a "major assault" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
