British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in hills just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of entry passages leading to the depot... preliminary assessments suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - imposed militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of British forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," he commented. "They were part of thousands of UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our safety, shows how British military are always on standby, continuously, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in the country, following an assault killed two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says Islamic State still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand militants in both countries.
