Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, located using surveillance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of entry passages down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this mission for their expertise and their valour," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among thousands of UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, protecting the UK at home and strong abroad."
During December, the American forces executed what it described as a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
