Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of approach shafts down to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many British personnel on duty over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, highlights how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, following an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
