British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with France's air force in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK's MoD.
The facility, located using surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a several access tunnels providing entry to the site... initial indications are that the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
IS - referred to as Daesh - established extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates the UK's leading role, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to stamp out any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
British military aircraft have carried out surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank every member of the UK armed forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," he commented. "They were part of thousands of British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, shows how UK forces are ready to step up, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in the country, subsequent to an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates Islamic State still has between 5,000 and 7,000 combatants in both countries.
