Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by intelligence, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of entry passages providing entry to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This strike underscores British leadership, and determination to operate in unison with our allies, to eliminate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary remarked.
RAF aircraft have carried out overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS after its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in the year 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of British forces involved in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," he commented. "Including them were a great many British troops stationed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our security, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military carried out what it termed a "large-scale strike" against IS targets in Syria, following an assault resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Iraq and Syria.
