US launches missile strike on Syria airbase

Sharp exchanges at UN emergency talks after strikes

US forces fired a barrage of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase yesterday in response to what President Donald Trump called a “barbaric” chemical attack he blamed on the Damascus regime, reports AFP from Beirut.
The massive strike—the first direct US action against President Bashar al-Assad’s government and Trump’s biggest military decision since taking office—marked a dramatic escalation in American involvement in Syria’s six-year civil war.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has heard sharp exchanges over the US bombardment of a Syrian air base suspected of using chemical weapons, adds BBC.
Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged restraint as Russia accused the US of encouraging "terrorists" in the region with its unilateral actions.
Russia has promised to strengthen its ally Syria's anti-aircraft defences.
It is also closing down a hotline with the US designed to avoid collisions between their air forces over Syria.
US officials say the base was used to launch a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians on Tuesday.
In the first direct US military action against Syria's government, at least six people are reported to have been killed.
Idlib's opposition-run health authority says 89 people, including 33 children and 18 women, died in the suspected nerve gas attack in the
The US attack followed days of outrage at images of dead children and victims suffering convulsions from the suspected sarin gas attack in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun.
US officials said 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from Navy ships in the Mediterranean at the Shayrat airfield at 3:40 am (0040 GMT), targeting the base from where Washington believes Tuesday’s deadly attack was launched.
Syria’s regime denounced the strike as a “flagrant aggression” and state news agency SANA said nine civilians including four children had been killed in villages near the base.
The attack was hailed by the Syrian opposition and supported by US allies including Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Saudi
Arabia and Turkey.
But it was denounced by Assad allies Iran and Russia, with Moscow warning that it would inflict “considerable damage” on US-Russia ties and halting an agreement with Washington aimed at avoiding clashes in Syrian airspace.
Trump announced the strike in a brief televised address delivered hours after the UN Security Council failed to agree on a probe into the suspected chemical attack.
Syria’s military has denied ever using chemical weapons, but Trump accused Assad of a “very barbaric attack” in which “even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered.”
At least 86 people, including 27 children, were killed in Khan Sheikhun and more than 500 wounded.
“Tonight I call on all civilised nations to join us in seeking to end this slaughter and bloodshed in Syria and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types,” Trump said.
The missiles were fired from the USS Porter and the USS Ross, which belong to the US Navy’s Sixth Fleet and are in the eastern Mediterranean.
The strike targeted radars, aircraft, air defence systems and other logistical components at the base south of Homs in central  Syria. US officials said measures had been put in place to avoid hitting sarin gas they said was stored at the airfield.
“The airbase was almost completely destroyed—the runway, the fuel tanks and the air defences were all blown to pieces,” said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.
In a statement read on state television, the Syrian army confirmed the strike, said it had caused extensive damage and gave an initial toll of at least six dead, without specifying whether they were civilians or military personnel.
It accused Washington of being allied with jihadists like the Islamic State group, and said it was seeking to “justify this aggression” by pointing the finger at Damascus for the suspected chemical attack “without knowing the truth.”
Nine planes as well as munition and fuel depots were destroyed in the strike but the runway was intact, Russian state channel Rossiya24 reported from the scene.
Syria’s opposition and rebel fighters, who have for years urged more direct US military action in support of their uprising, hailed the strike and called for more.
The National Coalition, the main opposition grouping, called on Washington to take further steps to “neutralise” the regime’s air power.
“We hope for more strikes... and that these are just the beginning,” spokesman Ahmad Ramadan told AFP.
Syria’s rebels have suffered a series of setbacks in recent years as Assad’s forces have reclaimed much of the territory once under opposition control.
The White House was quick to paint the decision as limited to deterring the use of chemical weapons, and not part of a broader military campaign.
“The intent was to deter the regime from doing this again, and it is certainly our hope that this has had that effect,” Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis told reporters.
Moscow, which launched a military intervention in support of Assad’s forces in 2015, had warned of “negative consequences” if Washington carried out military action in Syria.
Russia stood by Damascus this week despite the global uproar, insisting that the chemical weapons that caused the deaths in Khan Sheikhun had been stockpiled by “terrorists” and possibly released by a conventional strike.
It demanded an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the US strike, calling it a “gross... violation of international law”.
The Kremlin said it was an “aggression against a sovereign state” and would inflict “considerable damage” on US-Russia ties.
As a first step, Moscow announced it was suspending a deal with the United States aimed at preventing incidents in Syrian airspace, where Russian warplanes and aircraft from a US-led anti-jihadist coalition are both operating.
The Russian military also said steps would be taken to “strengthen” Syrian air defence systems.
US officials said Russia’s military in Syria was informed of the strike beforehand in order to avoid casualties that could prompt a broader crisis. Just days before he is due to visit Moscow, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused Russia of being incompetent or complicit in permitting Assad’s actions.
Tillerson said the attack should leave no one in any doubt that Trump is willing to act if any actor “crosses the line.”
It will send ripples around the world, from Pyongyang to Tehran, as nations and leaders take the measure of the novice but often bellicose president.
The timing of the strike, during a meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping, will give weight to Trump’s threats to deal with North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes unilaterally if necessary.
On Wednesday, Trump had decried the suspected chemical attack as an “affront to humanity.”
“It crossed a lot of lines for me,” Trump said, alluding to Barack Obama’s failure to enforce his own “red line” on the use of chemical weapons in Syria four years ago.
In 2013, Trump had urged then-president Obama not to intervene against Assad.
The Khan Sheikhun incident appears to have marked a turning point for Trump, just days after his administration signalled it was no longer seeking the Syrian leader’s departure from power.
Tillerson called Thursday for “a political process that would lead to Assad leaving” and said his future role in the country was “uncertain.”

US launches missile strike on Syria airbase

Sharp exchanges at UN emergency talks after strikes

US forces fired a barrage of cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase yesterday in response to what President Donald Trump called a barbaric chemical attack he blamed on the Damascus regime, reports AFP from Beirut. The massive strikethe first direct US action against President Bashar al-Assads government and Trumps biggest military decision since taking officemarked a dramatic escalation in American involvement in Syrias six-year civil war. Meanwhile, the UN Security Council has heard sharp exchanges over the US bombardment of a Syrian air base suspected of using chemical weapons, adds BBC. Secretary General Antonio Guterres urged restraint as Russia accused the US of encouraging terrorists in the region with its unilateral actions. Russia has promised to strengthen its ally Syrias anti-aircraft defences. It is also closing down a hotline with the US designed to avoid collisions between their air forces over Syria. US officials say the base was used to launch a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of civilians on Tuesday. In the first direct US military action against Syrias government, at least six people are reported to have been killed. Idlibs opposition-run health authority says 89 people, including 33 children and 18 women, died in the suspected nerve gas attack in the The US attack followed days of outrage at images of dead children and victims suffering convulsions from the suspected sarin gas attack in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun. US officials said 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from Navy ships in the Mediterranean at the Shayrat airfield at 3:40 am (0040 GMT), targeting the base from where Washington believes Tuesdays deadly attack was launched. Syrias regime denounced the strike as a flagrant aggression and state news agency SANA said nine civilians including four children had been killed in villages near the base. The attack was hailed by the Syrian opposition and supported by US allies including Britain, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. But it was denounced by Assad allies Iran and Russia, with Moscow warning that it would inflict considerable damage on US-Russia ties and halting an agreement with Washington aimed at avoiding clashes in Syrian airspace. Trump announced the strike in a brief televised address delivered hours after the UN Security Council failed to agree on a probe into the suspected chemical attack. Syrias military has denied ever using chemical weapons, but Trump accused Assad of a very barbaric attack in which even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered. At least 86 people, including 27 children, were killed in Khan Sheikhun and more than 500 wounded. Tonight I call on all civilised nations to join us in seeking to end this slaughter and bloodshed in Syria and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types, Trump said. The missiles were fired from the USS Porter and the USS Ross, which belong to the US Navys Sixth Fleet and are in the eastern Mediterranean. The strike targeted radars, aircraft, air defence systems and other logistical components at the base south of Homs in central Syria. US officials said measures had been put in place to avoid hitting sarin gas they said was stored at the airfield. The airbase was almost completely destroyedthe runway, the fuel tanks and the air defences were all blown to pieces, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group. In a statement read on state television, the Syrian army confirmed the strike, said it had caused extensive damage and gave an initial toll of at least six dead, without specifying whether they were civilians or military personnel. It accused Washington of being allied with jihadists like the Islamic State group, and said it was seeking to justify this aggression by pointing the finger at Damascus for the suspected chemical attack without knowing the truth. Nine planes as well as munition and fuel depots were destroyed in the strike but the runway was intact, Russian state channel Rossiya24 reported from the scene. Syrias opposition and rebel fighters, who have for years urged more direct US military action in support of their uprising, hailed the strike and called for more. The National Coalition, the main opposition grouping, called on Washington to take further steps to neutralise the regimes air power. We hope for more strikes... and that these are just the beginning, spokesman Ahmad Ramadan told AFP. Syrias rebels have suffered a series of setbacks in recent years as Assads forces have reclaimed much of the territory once under opposition control. The White House was quick to paint the decision as limited to deterring the use of chemical weapons, and not part of a broader military campaign. The intent was to deter the regime from doing this again, and it is certainly our hope that this has had that effect, Pentagon spokesman Navy Captain Jeff Davis told reporters. Moscow, which launched a military intervention in support of Assads forces in 2015, had warned of negative consequences if Washington carried out military action in Syria. Russia stood by Damascus this week despite the global uproar, insisting that the chemical weapons that caused the deaths in Khan Sheikhun had been stockpiled by terrorists and possibly released by a conventional strike. It demanded an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the US strike, calling it a gross... violation of international law. The Kremlin said it was an aggression against a sovereign state and would inflict considerable damage on US-Russia ties. As a first step, Moscow announced it was suspending a deal with the United States aimed at preventing incidents in Syrian airspace, where Russian warplanes and aircraft from a US-led anti-jihadist coalition are both operating. The Russian military also said steps would be taken to strengthen Syrian air defence systems. US officials said Russias military in Syria was informed of the strike beforehand in order to avoid casualties that could prompt a broader crisis. Just days before he is due to visit Moscow, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson accused Russia of being incompetent or complicit in permitting Assads actions. Tillerson said the attack should leave no one in any doubt that Trump is willing to act if any actor crosses the line. It will send ripples around the world, from Pyongyang to Tehran, as nations and leaders take the measure of the novice but often bellicose president. The timing of the strike, during a meeting with Chinas President Xi Jinping, will give weight to Trumps threats to deal with North Koreas nuclear and missile programmes unilaterally if necessary. On Wednesday, Trump had decried the suspected chemical attack as an affront to humanity. It crossed a lot of lines for me, Trump said, alluding to Barack Obamas failure to enforce his own red line on the use of chemical weapons in Syria four years ago. In 2013, Trump had urged then-president Obama not to intervene against Assad. The Khan Sheikhun incident appears to have marked a turning point for Trump, just days after his administration signalled it was no longer seeking the Syrian leaders departure from power. Tillerson called Thursday for a political process that would lead to Assad leaving and said his future role in the country was uncertain.