RAF Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria used by the IS group, according to the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountains just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "They were part of a great many British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still has roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
