Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of approach shafts leading to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of thousands of British personnel stationed over the holidays. This mission, to remove militants who threaten our safety, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
