British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, identified by intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were part of a great many UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out militants who endanger our way of life, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the US military conducted what it termed a "major assault" on IS targets in the country, after an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Islamic State still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
