Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several entry passages down to the depot... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of British forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," Healey commented. "They were part of a great many British troops stationed over the holidays. This mission, to take out militants who endanger our security, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces carried out what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, following an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
