Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK's MoD.
The location, identified by intelligence, was assessed as housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was located in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of entry passages providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted comeback" of the group following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces involved in this strike for their skill and their courage," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over the holidays. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
