British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with France's air force in a coordinated attack on an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the statement said, and was located in mountains just to the north of the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a several approach shafts down to the facility... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft made a safe return, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - referred to as ISIS - enforced militant control over parts of both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores British leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our allies, to eradicate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the minister remarked.
UK warplanes have performed surveillance missions over Syria to "deter any efforts to regroup" of Islamic State following its routing at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces involved in this mission for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were numerous UK service members deployed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who endanger our security, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, protecting the UK domestically and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military conducted what it termed a "massive strike" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN reports Islamic State still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
