British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of British forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey said. "Including them were a great many UK service members deployed over the festive period. This action, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, highlights how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces carried out what it called a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
