RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several approach shafts down to the site... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - established militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey added. "They were among thousands of UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
