British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, located using intelligence, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in hills just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels down to the site... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows British leadership, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were among thousands of UK service members on duty over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our security, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military conducted what it called a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an attack killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
