RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces involved in this operation for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were a great many British troops deployed over the festive period. This mission, to take out militants who threaten our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
During December, the US military executed what it called a "massive strike" against Daesh sites in the country, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
