Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the British defence ministry.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"The RAF jets utilized laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to hit a several access tunnels down to the facility... early reports are that the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - imposed militant control over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This action demonstrates British leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
UK warplanes have conducted overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted comeback" of the group following its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I want to thank the personnel of the UK armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary added. "Including them were thousands of British personnel deployed over the festive period. This operation, to take out terrorist threats who threaten our security, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the US military executed what it called a "major assault" against IS targets in Syria, following an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The UN estimates Daesh still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
