RAF Typhoon FGR4s have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), per a report from the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be containing munitions and bombs, the release indicated, and was positioned in mountainous terrain just above the historic site of Palmyra in central Syria.
"Our aircraft employed precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to strike a series of approach shafts providing entry to the facility... early reports indicate the strike was effective," the ministry announced.
There was no indication of any civilian impact in the strike conducted Saturday night and each participating jet returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as Daesh - enforced jihadist rule over significant areas in both Syria and Iraq before its territorial defeat in 2019.
"This operation underscores the UK's leading role, and commitment to operate in unison with our partners, to eliminate any re-emergence of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," Britain's Defence Chief John Healey remarked.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syria to "prevent any efforts to regroup" of the group after its routing at the Baghuz confrontation in 2019, the MoD reported.
"I extend gratitude to all the members of our armed forces who took part in this operation for their expertise and their courage," the Defence Secretary said. "Including them were thousands of UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This action, to remove terrorist threats who endanger our safety, shows how our armed forces are always on standby, all year round, keeping Britain secure within its borders and influential overseas."
Last December, the American forces conducted what it described as a "major assault" on Islamic State objectives in Syria, after an ambush resulted in the deaths of two US servicemembers and a civilian linguist in the Palmyra area.
The United Nations says IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand fighters in Syria and Iraq.
