RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several access tunnels leading to the facility... early reports indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established extremist governance over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their courage," Healey commented. "They were part of thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove militants who threaten our security, demonstrates how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
