Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the statement said, and was located in hills just to the north of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a series of approach shafts leading to the depot... initial indications suggest the target was engaged successfully," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation late on Saturday and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This action demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to work closely with our partners, to eliminate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted comeback" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank all the members of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their skill and their courage," he commented. "They were part of numerous British personnel on duty over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove terrorist threats who pose a risk to our way of life, demonstrates how British military are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it termed a "massive strike" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 combatants in Syria and Iraq.
