British Air Force Typhoon jets have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank every member of our armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "They were among thousands of British personnel on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, following an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
