Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of approach shafts leading to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," he added. "They were among a great many British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "major assault" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, after an ambush killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. says IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
