Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Islamic State group (IS), according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, identified by reconnaissance, was assessed as containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to strike a number of approach shafts down to the facility... initial indications indicate the objective was successfully hit," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any harm to civilians in the operation late on Saturday and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - alternatively referred to as ISIS - established extremist governance over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and commitment to operate in unison with allied nations, to stamp out any revival of IS and their violent and radical beliefs in the area," UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
British military aircraft have conducted overwatch operations over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS after its defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank the personnel of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "Including them were a great many British personnel stationed over the holidays. This mission, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our safety, shows how British military are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security domestically and powerful internationally."
Last December, the United States armed forces carried out what it described as a "massive strike" targeting Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an assault resulted in the deaths of two US troops and a civilian interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in both countries.
