British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was situated in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of entry passages providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as Daesh - established extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary said.
RAF aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of British forces participating in this strike for their expertise and their valour," Healey commented. "Including them were thousands of UK service members deployed over the festive period. This action, to eliminate militants who endanger our security, highlights how British military are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces conducted what it called a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, following an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
