RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among a great many UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our security, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
