British forces have bombed a suspected weapons stockpile previously used by Islamic State in Syria.
RAF Typhoons deployed guided bombs in a joint operation with the French air force on Saturday evening.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said several access tunnels were targeted, located in a mountainous area north of the central ancient city of Palmyra.
The operation aimed to “help prevent any attempted resurgence of the Daesh terrorist movement”. Daesh is another name for Islamic State, often shortened to ISIS or IS.
The facility had been used by IS, most likely to store weapons and explosives, and the surrounding area was devoid of civilians.
There was no indication of any risk to the local population, and all aircraft involved in the operation returned safely.
In December, the US launched strikes in Syria to “eliminate ISIS fighters, infrastructure, and weapons sites”.
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The MoD said RAF Typhoon FGR4s, supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker, joined French aircraft in a joint strike on the underground facility.
“Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels down to the facility; whilst detailed assessment is now underway, initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully,” the statement added.
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Able to travel at searing speeds of up to Mach 1.8 – 2,222kph – the Typhoon fighter jet can carry out a variety of roles including high-intensity combat, the RAF says.
First deployed with the RAF above Libya in 2011, the Typhoon has since been used in Iraq and Syria since 2015 as Western nations have sought to strike Islamic State targets.
The UK is among several countries that have stocks of the Typhoon, along with Germany, Italy and Spain.
In recent years the fourth-generation Typhoon has lost ground to the fifth-generation F-35, which has advanced stealth capabilities, but the Eurofighter has remained a key part of UK defence as a multirole fighter.
They are frequently called upon to intercept and shadow Russian aircraft near UK airspace.
The UK is set to replace it with the Tempest sixth-generation fighter from 2035, which is still in development.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the operation was designed to “eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life”.
“This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East,” he said in a statement.
Western aircraft have been conducting patrols to stop a resurgence of the Islamist militant group that ruled parts of Syria until 2019.
