Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several approach shafts down to the site... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among numerous British personnel stationed over the holidays. This action, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
