RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their courage," he said. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over the holidays. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
