RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several entry passages providing entry to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their courage," Healey said. "They were part of numerous British personnel stationed over the holidays. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
