British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in hills just north of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a series of access tunnels leading to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any resurgence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group following its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their valour," he said. "They were among a great many British troops on duty over the festive period. This mission, to eliminate militants who threaten our way of life, shows how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the American forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" against IS targets in Syria, after an attack killed two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
