Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The site, located using surveillance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of approach shafts leading to the site... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of British personnel deployed over the festive period. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
During December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an assault killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
