British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several approach shafts leading to the depot... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as Daesh - enforced militant control over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
British military aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of British forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," Healey said. "Including them were numerous British personnel on duty over the festive period. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
