British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of entry passages leading to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its routing at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of British forces participating in this strike for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among a great many UK service members stationed over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, shows how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military executed what it termed a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in the country, after an attack killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations says Daesh still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
