Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was thought to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of approach shafts leading to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of a great many British troops on duty over the festive period. This action, to take out dangerous terrorists who endanger our safety, highlights how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the US military executed what it termed a "major assault" against IS targets in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The United Nations reports Islamic State still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
