RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of entry passages down to the site... early reports suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - also known as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," Healey added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel stationed over the festive period. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces conducted what it termed a "major assault" targeting IS targets in Syria, following an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
