British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... early reports suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were part of numerous British personnel on duty over the festive period. This action, to remove militants who threaten our safety, shows how UK forces are always on standby, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" on IS targets in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
