RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of approach shafts leading to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their skill and their courage," he added. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
