RAF Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in hills just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of entry passages leading to the site... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among thousands of British personnel stationed over the festive period. This operation, to take out militants who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
