RAF Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our allies, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their courage," he commented. "They were among a great many UK service members stationed over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our security, shows how British military are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces carried out what it called a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in the country, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
