British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in hills just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to target a series of approach shafts down to the facility... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the strike late on Saturday and every plane involved made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over significant areas in Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eliminate any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," the British Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted comeback" of Islamic State subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their courage," he commented. "Including them were a great many UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" against IS targets in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports IS still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
