British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was situated in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates our UK leadership, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," the British Defence Secretary John Healey said.
RAF aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their valour," Healey added. "They were part of a great many British personnel deployed over the holidays. This action, to eliminate militants who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
