British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a series of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their courage," Healey commented. "They were part of numerous UK service members stationed over the festive period. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and strong abroad."
Last December, the American forces carried out what it called a "massive strike" on IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
