RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several entry passages down to the facility... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as Daesh - imposed extremist governance over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of Islamic State following its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of British forces participating in this strike for their skill and their bravery," Healey commented. "Including them were a great many British troops stationed over the holidays. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our security, shows how British military are prepared to act, all year round, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the US military executed what it called a "massive strike" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack claimed the lives of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN reports IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Syria and Iraq.
