Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military conducted what it described as a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
