British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French aircraft in a coordinated attack targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the IS group, per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through intelligence, was thought to be storing arms and explosives, the release indicated, and was situated in mountainous terrain just to the north of the historic site of Palmyra in the heart of Syria.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of access tunnels providing entry to the depot... initial indications indicate the target was engaged successfully," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any harm to civilians in the attack on Saturday evening and all the aircraft made a safe return, the defence officials confirmed.
The British jets were supported by a Voyager aerial refuelling aircraft.
IS - also known as the so-called Islamic State - enforced jihadist rule over large swathes of Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This strike demonstrates British leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any resurgence of the terrorist group and their violent and radical beliefs in the Middle East," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have carried out patrols over Syrian airspace to "prevent any attempted resurgence" of IS subsequent to its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces participating in this operation for their expertise and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "Including them were a great many UK service members deployed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate militants who threaten our safety, demonstrates how our armed forces are ready to step up, continuously, keeping Britain secure at home and powerful internationally."
Last December, the American forces executed what it termed a "major assault" targeting IS targets in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two American soldiers and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The UN says IS still has an estimated 5,000 to 7,000 militants in Syria and Iraq.
