Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of entry passages leading to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of British forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," he said. "They were part of numerous UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
