Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several entry passages leading to the depot... early reports suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their courage," he said. "They were among a great many UK service members on duty over the festive period. This action, to take out militants who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military conducted what it termed a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
