British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, located using intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels down to the site... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister stated.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group following its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces involved in this operation for their skill and their courage," Healey added. "They were among numerous British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove militants who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, all year round, protecting the UK within its borders and influential overseas."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
