British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several entry passages down to the site... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were among a great many UK service members on duty over the holidays. This action, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
