British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French aircraft in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of entry passages providing entry to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This action underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of British forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of British troops on duty over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, following an attack killed two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
