British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this strike for their skill and their courage," he said. "They were part of thousands of British personnel deployed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "major assault" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
