RAF Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several entry passages leading to the site... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over significant areas in Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group after its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their courage," Healey added. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate militants who threaten our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, protecting the UK at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "massive strike" on IS targets in Syria, following an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Islamic State still maintains between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
