British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s 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, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several access tunnels providing entry to the facility... early reports suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the strike on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
British military aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of our armed forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their courage," he added. "They were among numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, highlights how British military are prepared to act, continuously, keeping Britain secure within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
