A day after Moscow challenged US President Donald Trump to set out his strategy on Syria following chemical attacks allegedly by President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Washington on Friday launched a massive military strike on a Syrian airbase, killing nine civilians, including four children.
On Trump’s orders, US warships in the Mediterranean Sea launched between 50-60 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Shayrat airbase, in Homs governorate, where the warplanes that carried out the chemical attacks are based, US officials said
The move signals a dramatic shift in Trump’s position on whether the US should take military action against Assad’s regime. During his campaign for President, Trump had opposed any such move.
While Russia angrily denounced the military action as an “aggression against a sovereign state”, Assad’s office dubbed the US action “foolish and irresponsible”.
“What America did is nothing but foolish and irresponsible behaviour, which only reveals its short-sightedness and political and military blindness to reality,” a statement from Assad’s office said.
Russia, who has provided military support for the Assad’s Government since September 2015, said that the airstrikes could undermine efforts to fight against terrorism in Syria, while Israel and Syrian rebels welcomed the attack.
Russia’s military said a US strike on a regime airbase in Syria was ineffective but announced Syrian air defences would be strengthened to shield the country’s key infrastructure.
“To protect Syria’s most sensitive infrastructure, a complex of measures will be implemented in the near future to strengthen and improve the effectiveness of the Syrian armed forces’ air defence system,” Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
He added the strike had had an “extremely low” military impact, and fewer than half of the 59 reported US missiles had actually found their target. “Only 23 missiles reached the Syrian airbase,” he said.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council will meet on Saturday to discuss the US missile strikes on Syria following Russia’s demand for an emergency meeting.
The missiles from two US warships hit at 3.45 am and targeted the base’s airstrips, hangars, control tower and ammunition areas.
Speaking from his Mar-a-lago resort in Florida, Trump said he ordered targeted missile strikes at the Syrian airfield.
A military official quoted on Syrian TV said the US action caused material damage.
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, who is set to visit Moscow next week, said Russia has “failed in its responsibility” to deliver on a 2013 commitment to secure Syria’s chemical weapons.
“Clearly Russia has failed in its responsibility. Either Russia has been complicit or either Russia has been simply incompetent in its ability to deliver on its end of that agreement,” Tillerson told reporters.
He said that the US has a very “high level of confidence” that the chemical attacks were carried out under the direction of Assad’s regime.
“We have very high confidence that the attacks involved the use of sarin nerve gas,” he said.
Russia, who has provided military support for Bashar al-Assad’s government since September 2015, said that the air strikes could undermine efforts to fight against terrorism in Syria while Israel and Syrian rebels welcomed the attack.
Pentagon Press Secretary Captain Jeff Davis said Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established deconfliction line.
“US military planners took precautions to minimise risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield,” he said.
The Pentagon said the missile strike that targeted Shayrat Airfield was a proportional response to Assad’s heinous act.
“The strike was a proportional response to Assad’s heinous act. Shayrat Airfield was used to store chemical weapons and Syrian air forces. The US intelligence community assesses that aircraft from Shayrat conducted the chemical weapons attack on April 4,” Davis said.
The strike was intended to deter the regime from using chemical weapons again, he said.
“Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established deconfliction line. US military planners took precautions to minimise risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield,” Davis said.
The deaths of civilians in Syria sparked international outrage with many pointing the finger at the government of President Assad.
The UK, Israel and Australia were among the countries backing Trump’s move as an “appropriate” and “just” response.
The Syrian army on Tuesday denied that it had used chemical weapons against Khan Sheikhun.