RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several approach shafts providing entry to the site... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their courage," Healey commented. "They were part of thousands of British personnel on duty over the festive period. This mission, to remove militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
