International

US Syria strikes show necessary “resolve” after attack: EU’s Tusk

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AFP) –The United States missile strikes on a Syrian airbase Friday demonstrated “needed resolve” against chemical attacks, European Union President Donald Tusk said. “US strikes show needed resolve against barbaric chemical attacks,” tweeted Tusk, who represents the 28 EU member states, adding the bloc will work with the US to “end brutality” in Syria. Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, the EU executive, expressed his support for the US decision. “President Juncker […]

Syria army says six dead in US strike

  DAMASCUS, Syria (AFP) – Six people were killed and serious damage caused by a US missile strike on a Syrian air base in the center of the country early Friday, Syria’s army said. “At 3:42 am (0042 GMT) the United States carried out a flagrant aggression with missiles against one of our airbases in the central region, killing six people and wounding a number of others, and causing significant damage,” a spokesman said, reading […]

Moscow slams US ‘aggression’ in Syria; suspends air safety deal

    MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Moscow slammed the United States strike on a Syrian airbase Friday as “aggression against a sovereign state,” and suspended a bilateral agreement to help avoid clashes in the skies over the war-torn country. “President (Vladimir) Putin considers American strikes on Syria aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international norms, and under an invented pretext,” said the statement by the Kremlin press service posted on the official website. […]

Iran ‘strongly condemns’ US strike in Syria

TEHRAN, Iran (AFP) — Iran said Friday that it “strongly condemns” a United States air strike on a Syrian government airbase in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town. “We condemn all unilateral military action and the missile strike by US warships against Shayrat airbase under the pretext of Tuesday’s suspected attack on Khan Sheikhun,” foreign ministry spokesperson Bahram Ghassemi told the Fars news agency. Iran, with Russia, is the closest […]

US strikes in Syria inflict ‘considerable damage’ to US-Russia ties: Kremlin

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — The United States strikes ordered by President Donald Trump against a Syrian air base Friday inflict further “considerable damage” to US-Russia relations, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian news agencies. “This step by Washington inflicts considerable damage to US-Russia relations, which are already in a lamentable state,” Peskov said.

Watch: US airstrikes on Syrian airfield and US President Trump justifying attacks

  “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,” says United States President Donald Trump as he ordered a targeted military strike on a Syrian airfield. Below is US President Trump’s full statement: “On Tuesday, Syrian President Bashar al Assad launched a horrible chemical attack on innocent civilians using a deadly nerve agent. Assad choked out the […]

US strikes in Syria ‘aggression against sovereign state’: Kremlin

MOSCOW, Russia (AFP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin considers the United States strike on a Syrian airbase early Friday as an “aggression against a sovereign state,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, according to Russian agencies. “President Putin considers American strikes on Syria aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international norms, and under an invented pretext,” Peskov was reported as saying.

Monitor says US strike killed 4, nearly destroyed Syria base

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) –A United States strike on a Syrian airbase ordered in retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack killed four soldiers on Friday and virtually destroyed its facilities, a monitoring group said. “An air commodore was among the four soldiers killed,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. “The airbase was almost completely destroyed — the runway, the fuel tanks and the air defences were all blown to pieces,” the Britain-based monitoring group said. […]

Several dead in US strike on Syria base: local governor

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — The US military strike on a Syrian airbase has caused several deaths, said the governor of Homs province where the Shayrat base is located. “There are martyrs, but we don’t yet know the number either of martyrs or of wounded,” Talal Barazi told AFP by telephone. He said parts of the base were on fire and some of the wounded were suffering from burns. “It will take some time to determine the […]

Israel PM says he supports ‘strong message’ sent by US Syria strike

Jerusalem (AFP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday he supports the “strong and clear message” sent by a United States strike in neighboring Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack. “In both word and action, President Trump sent a strong and clear message today that the use and spread of chemical weapons will not be tolerated,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said. “Israel fully supports President Trump’s decision and hopes that this […]

Syria ‘chemical’ attack: what we know

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AFP) — The missile strike against a Syrian airbase marks the first time the United States has directly attacked the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Here is what we know so far about the target and the outcome of the strike. The target  At 3:40 am Syria time on Friday (0040 GMT), the US military fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat airfield near Homs in central Syria. According to the Pentagon, as well […]