President Trump has ordered a joint military operation, in concert with the UK and France, to launch "precision strikes" on targets associated with chemical weapons in Syria. Trump says the operation is currently under way.
U.S., British and French forces pounded Syria with air strikes early on Saturday in response to a poison gas attack that killed dozens of people last week, in the biggest intervention by Western powers against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the military action from the White House late on Friday. As he spoke, explosions rocked Damascus. Trump said he was prepared to sustain the response until Assad’s government stopped its use of chemical weapons. British Prime Minister Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron said the UK and France had joined in the attack. Syria’s seven-year-old civil war has pitted the United States and its allies against Russia, which itself intervened in the war in 2015 to back Assad. Syrian state media said the attack would fail and called it a “flagrant violation of international law.” Russia’s ambassador to the United States said Moscow had warned that “such actions will not be left without consequences”.
Latest developments
Three targets were hit in Syria, including a scientific research center located in the greater Damascus area, and two sites near Homs.
Three civilians were wounded in Homs after "several" missiles were intercepted by Syria air defense systems, Syria State TV said.
Air launched cruise missiles were among the munitions used in the strikes, according to two US defense officials.
US Defense Secretary James Mattis said "right now this is a one-time shot and I believe that it sent a very strong message" to the Syrian regime.
The UK Ministry of Defence said the strikes were intended to "send a clear message to the regime." UN Secretary General António Guterres called on members of the Security Council to show restraint to avoid escalating the conflict.
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