British Air Force Typhoon jets have conducted a mission with France's air force in a joint strike targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, as stated by the British defence ministry.
The location, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just above the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets employed Paveway IV guided bombs to hit a series of access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments indicate the objective was successfully hit," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the operation on Saturday evening and each participating jet returned to base without incident, the MoD added.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager refuelling tanker.
Daesh - also known as ISIS - enforced extremist governance over parts of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have conducted surveillance missions over Syria to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State after its military defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank the personnel of British forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," Healey commented. "They were among a great many British troops deployed over Christmas and New Year. This mission, to take out militants who pose a risk to our security, highlights how British military are ready to step up, all year round, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
Last December, the United States armed forces conducted what it described as a "major assault" targeting IS targets in Syria, following an ambush claimed the lives of two US troops and a local interpreter in the Palmyra area.
The U.N. estimates IS still boasts an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
