British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria used by the IS group, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over parts of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates the UK's leading role, and resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group subsequent to its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of thousands of British troops deployed over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the US military carried out what it described as a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, subsequent to an ambush killed two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports Daesh still has roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
