The US, UK and France launched air strikes targeting an Syrian army base early on Saturday morning reports Reuters.
The strikes, in response to a chemical weapons attack that killed dozens last weekend, marked the international community’s biggest intervention since the start of the 7 year war in Syria.
US president Donald Trump said he was prepared to sustain military action if Syria continued to use chemical weapons.
Speaking early on Saturday, British Prime Minister Theresa May said, there was no alternative to military action, adding she had authorised British forces to conduct precision air-launched cruise missile strikes to degrade Syria’s chemical weapons capability.
“This persistent pattern of behaviour must be stopped – not just to protect innocent people in Syria from the horrific deaths and casualties caused by chemical weapons but also because we cannot allow the erosion of the international norm that prevents the use of these weapons.There is no practicable alternative to the use of force to degrade and deter the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian Regime,” said the Prime Minister.
Ms May added, “ I have done so because I judge this action to be in Britain’s national interest. We cannot allow the use of chemical weapons to become normalised – within Syria, on the streets of the UK, or anywhere else in our world. History teaches us that the international community must defend the global rules and standards that keep us all safe. That is what our country has always done. And what we will continue to do.”
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations Anatoly Antonov, on Friday warned that there would be consequences for the US led military attacks on Syria.
In a short statement on twitter, Mr Antonov said,
“A pre-designed scenario is being implemented. Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences. Insulting the President of Russia is unacceptable and inadmissible. The US – the possessor of the biggest arsenal of chemical weapons has no moral right to blame other countries.”
Syrian state media confirmed that the US led-air strikes had hit army depots in the Homs area.
