Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several entry passages leading to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of British forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous British troops stationed over the holidays. This operation, to take out militants who threaten our security, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the US military executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
