RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the IS group, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a several access tunnels leading to the facility... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove militants who threaten our safety, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
In December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in the country, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
