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US and allies strike on Syrian chemical weapons sites

Radio New Zealand

Auckland, April 14, 2018

The US, UK and France have bombed multiple government targets in Syria in an early morning operation targeting alleged chemical weapons sites.

The strikes are in response to an alleged chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma last week.

“A combined operation with the armed forces of France and the United Kingdom is now underway,” US President Donald Trump said in an address to the Nation.

Explosions were reported near the Syrian capital Damascus.

Three targets hit

Officials at a Pentagon briefing listed three targets that had been struck: (a) A scientific research facility in Damascus, allegedly connected to the production chemical and biological weapons (b) A chemical weapons storage facility West of Homs and (c) A chemical weapons equipment storage and an important command post, also near Homs

Syrian state television said government forces had shot down more than a dozen missiles.

The government’s main ally, Russia, issued a statement through its US ambassador, saying “such actions will not be left without consequences.”

Gen Dunford said the US had specifically identified targets that would “mitigate” the risk of Russian casualties. But the Pentagon said that Russia had not been given advance notice of the targets.

No losses

US Secretary of Defence James Mattis told reporters there were no reports of losses in the operation.

“Right now, this is a one-time shot, and I believe it has sent a very strong message,” he said, saying the first wave of strikes was over.

Mr Trump had earlier said, “We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents.”

France and Britain join US

UK Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed British involvement, saying there was “no practicable alternative to the use of force.”

But she also said the strikes were not about “regime change.”

UK strikes carried out by four Tornado jets hit a military site near the city of Homs, which is believed to have housed precursor materials for chemical weapons, the ministry of defence said.

French President Emmanuel Macron also confirmed his country’s participation in the operation

The strikes were ordered “on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities” of the Syrian government, Mr Trump said.

The US President said that the purpose was “to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons.”

‘Monstrous Crime’

“These are not the actions of a man, they are the crimes of a monster instead,” he said of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria has denied carrying out the attack and its ally, Russia, warned that Western military strikes would risk starting a war.

A US official told Reuters news agency that Tomahawk cruise missiles were being used against multiple locations in Syria.

At least six loud explosions have been heard in Damascus and smoke was seen rising over the Syrian capital, a Reuters witness said.

Syrian state television also confirmed strikes on Damascus.

The country’s air defences have also been deployed, reports said.

British-based monitoring group the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said strikes had hit the Syrian Scientific Research Facility in the capital, along with several military sites.

Note: The above Report sourced by Radio New Zealand through BBC/Reuters has been published by Indian Newslink under a Special Agreement with www.rnz.co.nz

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Photo Caption:

  1. A US missile lights up the Damascus Sky (Photo Courtesy: Seattle Times)
  2. US President Donald Trump addressing his Nation (Photo Courtesy: ABC News)

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