British Air Force Typhoon FGR4s have operated alongside French aircraft in a combined operation on an underground arms cache in Syrian territory used by the Daesh militant organization, according to the UK Ministry of Defence.
The site, identified by reconnaissance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the announcement noted, and was located in mountainous terrain just to the north of Palmyra in central Syria.
"The RAF jets used laser-guided Paveway IV weapons to strike a number of access tunnels down to the site... initial indications suggest the objective was successfully hit," officials stated.
There was no evidence of any civilian impact in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the defence officials confirmed.
The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager tanker plane.
The Islamic State group - also known as the so-called Islamic State - imposed extremist governance over significant areas in Syria and Iraq prior to its 2019 collapse.
"This operation shows the UK's leading role, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with allied nations, to eliminate any revival of the terrorist group and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East," the British Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
UK warplanes have performed patrols over Syria to "deter any attempted resurgence" of Islamic State following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the authorities noted.
"I extend gratitude to the personnel of British forces participating in this mission for their professionalism and their valour," Healey added. "Including them were numerous British troops deployed over the holidays. This mission, to eliminate dangerous terrorists who threaten our safety, shows how UK forces are prepared to act, all year round, keeping Britain secure at home and influential overseas."
During December, the United States armed forces carried out what it called a "major assault" targeting Daesh sites in Syria, after an ambush killed two US troops and a civilian linguist in Palmyra.
The U.N. reports IS still boasts roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in Iraq and Syria.
