RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several approach shafts leading to the facility... early reports suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of a great many British troops stationed over the holidays. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
