RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using surveillance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of access tunnels down to the site... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the operation on Saturday evening and every plane involved made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - alternatively referred to as Daesh - enforced extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister said.
British military aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of numerous UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how British military are ready to step up, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
