Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK's MoD.
The facility, identified by surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of approach shafts providing entry to the depot... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over parts of both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their valour," Healey commented. "They were part of thousands of UK service members on duty over the festive period. This action, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
