RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the statement said, and was positioned in hills just above Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts down to the site... initial indications indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed militant control over large swathes of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary the minister stated.
RAF aircraft have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces involved in this strike for their skill and their courage," he commented. "They were among a great many British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out militants who endanger our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military conducted what it called a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
