British Air Force Typhoon jets have joined forces with French aircraft in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory employed by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was positioned in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a number of entry passages down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This action shows the UK's leading role, and resolve to work closely with allied nations, to stamp out any re-emergence of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the region," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of the group subsequent to its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces participating in this operation for their skill and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were a great many UK service members stationed over the festive period. This action, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in the country, following an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
