British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside French warplanes in a joint strike against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was located in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels down to the site... early reports indicate the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our partners, to eradicate any re-emergence of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister stated.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of IS following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of British forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate militants who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security domestically and strong abroad."
In December, the US military conducted what it termed a "large-scale strike" on Daesh sites in Syria, after an attack claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
