British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as Daesh - imposed militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces who took part in this operation for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were numerous UK service members on duty over the festive period. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military carried out what it termed a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, following an attack killed two US servicemembers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in both countries.
