Royal Air Force Typhoon jets have joined French aircraft in a joint strike on an underground arms cache in Syria used by the Islamic State group (IS), the UK Ministry of Defence says.
Careful intelligence analysis led officials to believe the facility was storing arms and explosives, and was located in mountains just north of Palmyra, an ancient site in central Syria.
Our aircraft used Paveway IV guided bombs to target a number of access tunnels down to the facility... initial indications are that the target was engaged successfully, the MoD stated.
There was no sign of any harm to civilians in the strike late on Saturday, and all aircraft returned safely.
Detailed assessment of the strikes is underway, but officials believe the target was engaged successfully. The Typhoon FGR4s were supported by a Voyager refueling tanker.
IS imposed jihadist rule over parts of Syria and Iraq until 2019.
This action shows our UK leadership, and determination to stand shoulder to shoulder with our allies, to stamp out any resurgence of Daesh and their dangerous and violent ideologies in the Middle East, UK Defence Secretary John Healey stated.
RAF aircraft have performed patrols over Syria to prevent any attempted resurgence of IS following its defeat at Baghuz in 2019. Healey expressed gratitude to all armed forces involved in the operation for their professionalism and courage.
The operations aim to eliminate remaining elements of the so-called Islamic State and to prevent the influx of foreign militants to the region.
According to reports, the United Nations estimates that IS still has between 5,000 and 7,000 fighters in Syria and Iraq.
In a recent development, Syria has joined a US-led coalition to combat the group, marking a significant step in the international effort to confront IS terrorism.
