Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a several access tunnels providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - imposed militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and resolve to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their courage," Healey commented. "They were among a great many British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our security, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Daesh still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
