British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several entry passages down to the site... initial indications indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their valour," he added. "They were part of thousands of UK service members stationed over the festive period. This action, to remove militants who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports IS still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
