Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a several approach shafts down to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their courage," he added. "Including them were numerous British personnel on duty over the festive period. This action, to take out militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "major assault" on Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN says Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
