British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels down to the site... initial indications indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among thousands of UK service members on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate militants who endanger our way of life, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the US military carried out what it called a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
