RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their valour," Healey commented. "They were among thousands of British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
