Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the facility... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over large swathes of both 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 the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of numerous British troops on duty over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the US military executed what it described as a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
