RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountains just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts down to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their bravery," Healey added. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
