British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The location, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a series of approach shafts providing entry to the site... initial indications indicate the target was engaged successfully," the ministry announced.
There was no sign of any civilian casualties in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as Daesh - established jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation shows British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syria to "deter any attempted comeback" of the group after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to every member of the UK armed forces involved in this mission for their skill and their courage," he said. "They were part of thousands of British troops on duty over Christmas and New Year. This action, to take out terrorist threats who endanger our safety, highlights how our armed forces are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and powerful internationally."
In December, the US military conducted what it described as a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria.
