British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force 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, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous British personnel stationed over the holidays. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
