RAF Typhoon fighter aircraft have conducted a mission with French aircraft in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to target a series of access tunnels providing entry to the site... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," officials stated.
There was no sign of any civilian impact in the strike late on Saturday and each participating jet made a safe return, the MoD added.
The British jets were backed up by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - referred to as ISIS - established militant control over parts of Iraq and Syria prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This strike underscores the UK's leading role, and resolve to operate in unison with allied nations, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief the minister said.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syria to "forestall any efforts to regroup" of the group after its military defeat at the battle of Baghuz in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces involved in this operation for their professionalism and their courage," Healey added. "They were part of numerous British personnel deployed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, highlights how UK forces are always on standby, throughout the year, protecting the UK within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces executed what it described as a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in the country, after an ambush claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The United Nations estimates IS still maintains an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
