RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several approach shafts leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its military 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 strike for their professionalism and their courage," Healey said. "They were part of a great many British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, shows how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
