RAF Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several access tunnels down to the facility... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their valour," Healey commented. "Including them were numerous British troops on duty over the festive period. This action, to eliminate militants who threaten our security, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
