Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, located using intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several approach shafts providing entry to the site... initial indications are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their valour," he commented. "They were part of thousands of British personnel deployed over the festive period. This mission, to take out militants who threaten our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the US military carried out what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault killed two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Iraq and Syria.
