British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - also known as ISIS - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of thousands of UK service members stationed over the festive period. This action, to remove militants who endanger our safety, highlights how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations reports IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand militants in Syria and Iraq.
