RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a number of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - also known as ISIS - established jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
