Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the facility... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of British forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their valour," Healey added. "They were part of numerous British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out militants who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
