British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a number of entry passages down to the site... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of IS after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of our armed forces involved in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were a great many British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate militants who endanger our safety, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the US military executed what it described as a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, following an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
