British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria used by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.
The site, located using reconnaissance, was assessed as storing arms and explosives, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a series of entry passages leading to the site... early reports suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and each participating jet made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as ISIS - established militant control over large swathes of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and determination to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the minister remarked.
RAF aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group following its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their courage," Healey added. "They were among a great many UK service members on duty over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to eliminate terrorist threats who threaten our safety, demonstrates how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. says Daesh still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
