RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their valour," Healey said. "They were part of thousands of British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" on IS targets in the country, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
