Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of entry passages providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "They were part of numerous British troops on duty over the festive period. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in the country, subsequent to an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
