The United States launched a deadly airstrike on an airbase in Syria in the early hours of Friday in retaliation for Tuesday’s alleged chemical attack on civilian population in the town of Khan Sheikhoun by Syrian government forces.
The US military fired 59 tomahawk missiles at 1.40am, after President Donald Trump blamed Bashar al-Assad’s regime for the horrific nerve gas attack, which killed more than 80 of the dictator’s own citizens.
Russia was swift in condemning the action, with President Vladimir Putin vowing to bolster Assad’s air defences, raising fears the conflict will spiral into all-out war between Russia and the West.
Russian warship, the Admiral Grigorovich – armed with cruise missiles and a self-defence system – is expected to dock in Syria later on Friday, after it was immediately diverted from the Black Sea.
The US airstrike on al-Shayrat military airfield near Homs killed six, injured many more and destroyed up to nine Syria jets. Footage showing burnt out shelters and hangars and a damaged runway was cheered by tearful Syrians hoping that Trump’s intervention would lead to Assad being overthrown.
World leaders praised the US strikes, Friday morning, and urged Putin to hold urgent talks with Trump to prevent the Syria crisis escalating into a wider world conflict.
Putin called it an “illegal act of aggression” and ripped up an agreement to avoid mid-air clashes between Russian and US fighter jets over Syria.
As an immediate act of payback, Russian or Syrian planes once again bombed the town of Khan Sheikhoun, witnesses and monitoring groups in the rebel-held area claimed.
On Friday morning, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, speaking alongside German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, said: “We do not want an escalation. We have to stop the hypocrisy. If Russia is acting in good faith it should stop and negotiate.”
Earlier, Trump, speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida where he is hosting the Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng as part of a two day summit, said the US had to act after the Syrian dictator launched the “horrible chemical weapons attack” on innocent civilians.
“Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack,” he said. “It was a slow and brutal death for so many.”
Pentagon officials said that the airfield was being used to store chemical weapons and was a base for Syrian air forces – including the aircraft that conducted the chemical weapons attack. Early reports indicate the strike has severely damaged or destroyed nine aircraft as well as support infrastructure, while at least six people were killed.
A Syrian official claimed the attack killed three soldiers and two civilians, while a Syrian opposition monitor said it killed four soldiers, including a general. Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs province, said seven others were wounded in the attack.
The Pentagon has released dramatic footage of its missiles being launched from USS Ross, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, targeting the Syrian base.
Putin further denounced the strike as an “act of aggression against a UN member” and suspended a deal to avoid mid-air clashes with American fighter jets over the war-torn country. Kremlin officials said the US strikes had “extremely low” military effectiveness.
Syrian Army officials called the US airstrike a act of “blatant aggression”. saying it had made America “a partner” of ISIS, the ex-Nusra Front and other “terrorist organisations”.
The US used a special military-to-military hotline to warn Russia it was launching an airstrike on a Syrian air base about 30 minutes in advance – but the Trump administration did not ask Moscow for permission. It is likely Russia alerted the Syrians about the incoming strikes but this has not been confirmed.
Viktor Ozerov, head of the defense committee in the Russian Federation Council, told state news agency RIA that the US strikes “may undermine the efforts in the fight against terrorism in Syria.
Russia’s foreign minister says no Russian servicemen have been hurt in the bombing raid.
A Pentagon official told DailyMail.com that the president “is dead-set against letting Assad labor under the illusion that the Syrian army can murder innocent people with impunity.”
“We’ve laid down a marker. No more chemical weapons attacks, period. There will be consequences. Our president is showing his American conscience, and if anyone provokes him they will regret it.”
The official said the Trump administration hopes Assad “will change his ways.”
The longtime Pentagon veteran said he was in the chain of command that led to Thursday night’s attacks, but couldn’t predict what might come next.
The strike targeted runway, aircraft and fuel points. Strikes are over “until another decision is made,” the official said.
Despite repeated questions, neither Secretary of State Rex Tillerson nor National Security Adviser HR McMaster would confirm whether China’s Xi Jinping was informed of the strike ahead of time. However officials confirmed to AFP that Trump had informed Xi personally of the Syria strike before it occurred.
The strikes have won broad international support with officials saying that Canada and other allies were behind the move.
Britain backed the US missile strike, describing it as an “appropriate response”, as the government offered its full support to Trump’s targeted assault.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande said Syrian president Assad bore “sole responsibility” for the US strike on a regime airbase.
In a joint statement on Friday, they said: “After the chemical weapons massacre of April 4 on Khan Sheikhun in northwestern Syria, a military installation of the Syrian regime was destroyed by a US air strike last night. President Assad bears sole responsibility for this development.”
Hollande added that the US strike was what France had been calling for in the wake of another chemical attack in 2013.
Both he and Merkel said their countries would continue to work with UN partners in “efforts to hold President Assad responsible for his criminal acts.”
EU President Donald Tusk said the action demonstrated “needed resolve” against chemical attacks. “US strikes show needed resolve against barbaric chemical attacks. EU will work with the US to end brutality in Syria,” Tusk said in a tweet.
Israel’s prime minister also welcomed the US attack saying he “fully supports” President Trump’s decision.
Benjamin Netanyahu said “in both word and action” Trump “sent a strong and clear message” that “the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated.”
It is not yet clear what China’s response has been to Trump’s decision to brazenly announce the strike on Syria while the president was his guest. China has backed Syrian-ally Russia’s attempts to protect Assad’s government and vetoed six resolutions on Syria.
During his public address from his Mar-a-Lago estate, Trump said that it was “vital” to the national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.
“There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the chemical weapons convention, and ignored the urging of the UN security council,” he said.
“Years of previous attempts at changing Assad’s behaviour have all failed and failed very dramatically.
“As a result, the refugee crisis continues to deepen and the region continues to destabilise, threatening the United States and its allies.
“Tonight I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types.”
On Trump’s orders, US warships in the Eastern Mediterranean launched between 50-60 Tomahawk cruise missiles at 3.45am Syrian time, targeting a Syrian government airbase.
Warning Shots: Trump Orders Missile Strike Against Syria over Tuesday’s Chemical Attack
ByEditor
Apr 7, 2017
A hangar at the airbase destroyed in the attack