Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among numerous British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to take out dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, demonstrates how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the US military carried out what it termed a "major assault" against Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
