Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, located using surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a number of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... initial indications are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey added. "Including them were numerous UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, protecting the UK at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces executed what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in the country, following an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
