British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several access tunnels down to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of the UK armed forces participating in this strike for their skill and their courage," he said. "They were part of numerous British troops deployed over the holidays. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who pose a risk to our security, shows how UK forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
During December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in the country, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Iraq and Syria.
