RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of access tunnels leading to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their courage," Healey added. "They were part of numerous UK service members stationed over the festive period. This operation, to take out militants who endanger our security, highlights how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it described as a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Iraq and Syria.
