British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK's MoD.
The location, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... early reports indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - established militant control over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and determination to work closely with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary said.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces involved in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of a great many British personnel stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, highlights how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure domestically and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack killed two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in both countries.
