British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a number of access tunnels leading to the depot... preliminary assessments are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their valour," the Defence Secretary added. "They were among a great many UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our way of life, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, after an assault killed two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations estimates IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
