British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of approach shafts down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of the group following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their skill and their bravery," he said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over the festive period. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our safety, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
