British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have conducted a mission with French warplanes in a coordinated attack against an underground arms cache in Syrian territory operated by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the British defence ministry.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in hills just above Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft used precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a several access tunnels down to the site... preliminary assessments suggest the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no evidence of any civilian casualties in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the MoD added.
The Typhoon fighters were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
IS - referred to as Daesh - imposed jihadist rule over large swathes of Iraq and Syria until 2019.
"This strike underscores our UK leadership, and resolve to operate in unison with our partners, to eradicate any revival of IS and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the Middle East," UK Defence Secretary the Defence Secretary stated.
RAF aircraft have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of IS following its military defeat at the climactic battle in Baghuz in 2019, the ministry said.
"I must thank every member of our armed forces who took part in this mission for their expertise and their bravery," Healey commented. "They were among numerous UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove terrorist threats who threaten our safety, highlights how British military are always on standby, continuously, ensuring Britain's security within its borders and strong abroad."
In December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in the country, following an assault killed two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The UN estimates IS still boasts between 5,000 and 7,000 militants in both countries.
