Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter aircraft have joined forces with French warplanes in a combined operation targeting an underground arms cache in Syria operated by the Daesh militant organization, as stated by the UK Ministry of Defence.
The facility, pinpointed through surveillance, was believed to be housing weapons and explosive materials, the release indicated, and was situated in mountains just to the north of Palmyra in Syria's central region.
"Our fighter planes utilized precision-guided Paveway IV munitions to hit a several approach shafts leading to the facility... preliminary assessments are that the strike was effective," the MoD said.
There was no indication of any civilian casualties in the attack conducted Saturday night and all the aircraft returned safely, the ministry further stated.
The Typhoon fighters were backed up by a Voyager tanker plane.
Daesh - referred to as the so-called Islamic State - established jihadist rule over significant areas in Syria and Iraq until 2019.
"This operation demonstrates our UK leadership, and commitment to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to eradicate any revival of the terrorist group and their harmful and extremist ideologies in the area," the British Defence Secretary the minister said.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syrian airspace to "forestall any attempted resurgence" of the group following its defeat at the Baghuz confrontation in the year 2019, the MoD reported.
"I must thank all the members of our armed forces who took part in this strike for their professionalism and their bravery," the Defence Secretary commented. "They were among a great many UK service members stationed over Christmas and New Year. This operation, to remove dangerous terrorists who pose a risk to our safety, highlights how UK forces are prepared to act, continuously, ensuring Britain's security at home and influential overseas."
Last December, the US military executed what it called a "large-scale strike" against Daesh sites in the country, after an assault claimed the lives of two American soldiers and a local interpreter in Palmyra.
The U.N. says Daesh still maintains roughly 5-7 thousand combatants in both countries.
