RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our security, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces executed what it termed a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
