RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with France's air force in a combined operation against an underground arms cache in Syria employed by the IS group, according to the British defence ministry.
The location, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was situated in hills just north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our aircraft utilized Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of approach shafts leading to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the attack late on Saturday and all the aircraft returned to base without incident, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon fighters were assisted by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - imposed jihadist rule over parts of Iraq and Syria before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike shows our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of IS and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary remarked.
British military aircraft have conducted patrols over Syrian airspace to "deter any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the battle of Baghuz in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I want to thank all the members of British forces who took part in this strike for their skill and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were part of numerous British troops on duty over the festive period. This operation, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our way of life, demonstrates how our armed forces are prepared to act, throughout the year, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
During December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "massive strike" against Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an attack resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. reports Daesh still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
