British Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have operated alongside France's air force in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, pinpointed through reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was located in mountains just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes employed laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a number of access tunnels leading to the depot... initial indications suggest the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the operation conducted Saturday night and every plane involved made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were assisted by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any re-emergence of Daesh and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the region," UK Defence Secretary John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed overwatch operations over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State subsequent to its routing at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to every member of British forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary added. "They were part of a great many British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are always on standby, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure domestically and powerful internationally."
In December, the American forces executed what it called a "major assault" on Daesh sites in the country, subsequent to an attack claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates Daesh still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in both countries.
