Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels down to the site... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - enforced militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of British forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their courage," he commented. "They were among a great many British troops deployed over the holidays. This action, to take out militants who pose a risk to our safety, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the US military carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
