American destroyers in the Mediterranean fired almost 60 Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat airfield in Homs, used as the base for Syrian jets allegedly involved in the chemical weapons strike. At least three Syrian soldiers and several civilians were reported killed, but preliminary information suggested no Russian casualties. 
 
 President Donald Trump said that the move was in the "vital national security interest of the United States," marking a major policy reversal for his administration. 
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin called the strike an "act of aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law." 
 
 German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France's President Francois Hollande blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, saying that his actions provoked the response. 
 
 Read the full story on the US military action in Syria here 
 
 All updates in UTC 
 
 16:17 France also described the US response to Tuesday's alleged chemical attack as "appropriate." French Ambassador Francois Delattre said he hoped the airstrikes would prove to be a "game changer and help boost the political negotiations." 
 
 16:13 Addressing the UN Security Council, Britain's UN Ambassador Matthew Rycroft described the US airstrike as a "proportionate response to unspeakable acts." 
 
 The UK diplomat also lashed out at Moscow, which has provided the Assad regime with military and political support. Rycroft told the 15-member council that "without Russia's seven vetoes in the Security Council, defying the views of other members of this council, Assad would have faced sanctions and justice." 
 
 15:43 The UN Security Council has begun an emergency session to discuss the situation in Syria. The US, which currently holds the rotating presidency, decided not to acquiesce to a request from Bolivia to hold the talks behind closed doors. Bolivia initially called the session, but US envoy Nikki Haley said that the meeting should be public so that "any country that chooses to defend the atrocities of the Syrian regime will have to do so in full public view, for all the world to hear." 
 
 15:20 After a noticeable silence, top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said he did not think President Trump needed congressional approval for the strike, because it was "simply a message" to Syrian President Assad "not to use chemical weapons again." He said he did not interpret the airstrike as a "first step" towards further military intervention, and reaffirmed early US policy on Syria calling for Assad to step down. 
 
 15:08 German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel said on a trip to Mali that while he agreed that a possible gas attack "constituted a war crime," he was worried that "we have lost sight of the political process," and called on Washington to let the United Nations continue its efforts to broker peace. 
 
 14:57 Hezbollah, the militant group from Lebanon that enjoys Iranian sympathy, called the US' actions "foolish," and warned that it could be "the beginning of a great and dangerous escalation in the region." 
 
 14:25 Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called Thursday night's US airstrikes "illegal" and warned that they were just "one step away from clashing with the Russian military." 
 
 Satellite pictures suggested that the Shayrat air base that was struck also housed Russian special forces and military helicopters. US forces had reportedly informed Russian officials of the strike ahead of time to avoid hitting any Russian personnel. 
 
 13:24 A Russian frigate carrying cruise missiles will visit a logistics base in Syria's Tartus after entering the Mediterranean on Friday, reported Russia's state-owned TASS news agency, citing diplomatic sources. 
 
 13:17 Federica Mogherini, the EU's top diplomat, said a political solution to the conflict will ensure peace and security in Syria and effectively uproot the "Islamic State" and other militants groups operating in the country. 
 
 "The EU firmly believes that there can be no military solution to the conflict and is committed to the unity, sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of the Syrian state," she said. 
 
 13:11 Russia demanded an emergency meeting of the UN ceasefire task force in Geneva to discuss the latest US military action in Syria. 
 
 12:54 Jordan said the US missile strike was a "necessary and appropriate response to the continued targeting of civilians" in the wake of a suspected chemical weapons attack earlier this week. 
 
 12:07 The US cruise missiles likely followed a route outside of the zones covered by the Russian air defense systems, a military expert told the Russian Interfax news agency. 
 
 "The route was calculated to evade our air defense systems […] Americans are no fools," Aytech Bizhev said, adding that the outdated Syrian systems were not able to stand up to such an attack. 
 
 11:47 German Chancellor Angela Merkel urged a political transition in Syria with the ultimate goal of a "democratic" end to the Assad regime. 
 
 The US strike was understandable in view of the "the war crimes, the suffering of innocent people, and the blockade in the UN Security Council," she said. 
 
 11:40 Oil prices rallied after the US strike on Friday, reaching their highest levels in months over fears that the escalation could disrupt supply routes in the Middle East. 
 
 11:33 Russian air defense systems in charge of protecting Moscow bases in Syria are on duty "around the clock," military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. 
 
 11:20 The Syrian presidency says Washington was naively sucked in by a false propaganda campaign about the chemical weapons strike. 
 
 The US "aggression" has increased the government's resolve to "hit those terrorist agents, to continue to crush them," Damascus officials said. The office of Bashar al-Assad also slammed the strike as "rash" and "shortsighted." 
 
 11:15 Vladimir Putin and Russia's top security officials were "deeply concerned" about the consequences of the US strike, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said after an urgent meeting in Moscow. 
 
 "They have also expressed regret about the damage done to the bilateral ties between Russia and the US," he said. 
 
 11:03 Iran's Foreign Minister Javad Zarif slammed the US for "fighting on the same side" as al Qaeda and the "Islamic State" in a series of tweets. 
 
 11:01 The Russian Defense Ministry believes that the US missile strike was being prepared long before the alleged chemical attack in Idlib. The US destroyers "Porter" and "Ross" were directed to the eastern regions of the Mediterranean Sea days before the incident, Russian Interfax agency said, citing non-classified Pentagon data. 
 
 10:55 Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom raised the question whether the US strike was "compatible with international law." 
 
 "It is important that such actions have a legal basis," she said. "This question must be taken to the UN Security Council, which has to take responsibility for a lasting political solution." 
 
 10:41 The US informed the EU that "these strikes were limited," EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said. 
 
 10:30 The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry supported the US military action in Syria. 
 
 "For those who break international law by using chemical weapons, impunity would lead to further crimes… The backers and those who cover up the crimes of the Syrian regime are also responsible for using the weapons of mass destruction and civilian casualties," Kyiv said. 
 
 10:23 French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault says that Paris urged Russia to negotiate. 
 
 "We have to stop the hypocrisy. If Russia is acting in good faith it should stop and negotiate," he said. "We do not wish to raise the stakes, but to find a solution. You cannot deal with reality (use of chemical weapons) by resorting to propaganda." 
 
 10:20 The US attack killed nine civilians, including four children, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA. 
 
 10:16 NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said that Syrian authorities carried the blame for the missile strike. 
 
 "Any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable, cannot go unanswered, and those responsible must be held accountable," he added. 
 
 10:13 With the international community divided on the US strike in Syria, there is a risk of the shockwaves spreading far beyond Syrian borders, says DW's Lewis Sanders. 
 
 Read: US polarizes world with attack on Syrian regime 
 
 10:12 An unidentified warplane bombed the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, the site of the earlier chemical weapons attack, on Friday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. 
 
 10:10 Turkey's Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu called for the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad. 
 
 "This regime must be removed from leading Syria as soon as possible, and the best way to do that is by starting the transitional process," Cavusoglu said in televised remarks. 
 
 10:08 Russia's President Vladimir Putin will hold a meeting of his security council later on Friday. Moscow would keep technical and military channels of communication open with Washington, but would not exchange any information through them, Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. 
 
 10:05 Russia must play a "decisive" role in resolving the Syrian crisis alongside the UN, Italian Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said. 
 
 09:57 The effectiveness of Syrian air defense systems will be boosted in the near future, in order to "protect the most sensitive objects of the Syrian infrastructure," Russian military spokesman Igor Konashenkov said. He added that only 23 Tomahawk missiles struck the base out of 59 launched, making the US action "extremely ineffective." 
 
 09:53 US Senator and one-time US presidential candidate John McCain says Donald Trump's strikes send an "important message." 
 
 09:45 Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen praised the attack on Twitter. 
 
 "Good that cowardly assaults on women, men and children have consequences. The United States has clearly indicated that (Syrian President Bashar) Assad's atrocities do not go unpunished." 
 
 09:35 The key rival of Chancellor Merkel in the upcoming parliamentary elections in Germany, SPD chief Martin Schulz, urged Europe to put more effort into resolving the Syrian crisis. 
 
 "For far too long, we the Europeans have only looked at the US and Russia," he said. The EU needs to take more "political, not military" responsibility, he added. 
 
 09:25 EU Council President Donald Tusk tweeted that the strike showed US "resolve." 
 
 09:13 The US says that the targeted army compound served as a base to launch the chemical weapons attack that killed at least 80 people. 
 
 US missile attack on Syrian airbase 59 Tomahawk Missiles In April, US forces attacked a Syrian air base with cruise missiles in retaliation for a deadly chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians. The US attack killed several Syrian soldiers and almost completely destroyed the base. 
 
 US missile attack on Syrian airbase Syrian air base The air base Al-Shairat looked like this before 59 Tomahawk rockets were fired at the site. US President Donald Trump said this was the base from which the poison gas attack was flown out of on Tuesday. The strike aimed to destroy airplanes as well as prevent take-offs and landings. 
 
 US missile attack on Syrian airbase Attack from the Mediterranean The cruise missiles were launched from the USS Porter and USS Ross warships stationed in the Mediterranean Sea. It was the first time US forces had directly attacked government forces in the six-year civil war. Previous attacks in Syria targeted the so-called "Islamic State." 
 
 US missile attack on Syrian airbase Turning point for Trump For Trump, the use of chemical weapons was a turning point in his attitude towards the Syrian conflict. After an even bigger chemical attack in August 2013, which killed several hundred people, he warned then-President Barack Obama against retaliating against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. 
 
 US missile attack on Syrian airbase Threats in the UN Security Council "When the United Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take our own action," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Wednesday, as she held up photographs of lifeless victims, including children. 
 
 US missile attack on Syrian airbase Targeted attack or accident? On Tuesday morning a residential district in Chan Sheikhun in Idlib province was bombed and poison gas was released. At least 70 people died in the attack, but responsibility is still unclear. 
 
 
 
 09:08 French President Francois Hollande was meeting with his top security officials in Paris to discuss next steps in Syria. 
 
 09:05 Russia's Sergey Lavrov hopes that the US missile strikes would not lead to "irreparable damage" between Moscow and Washington. 
 
 08:54 French far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen warned that interventions in Iraq and Libya boosted Islamic terrorism. 
 
 US president Donald Trump had indicated that he would not make his country "the world's policeman, and that's exactly what he did yesterday," she told France-2 television. 
 
 08:52 Italy's Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano says the attack was a "reasonable reaction" and a deterrent to the regime's chemical weapons use. 
 
 08:48 Syrian rebels welcomed the US military strike in Syria, but urged more military action, according to the AFP news agency. 
 
 08:41 Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Moscow will demand an explanation from the US on Syria strikes. 
 
 08:38 The Syrian ambassador in Moscow says the US strikes confirm that Washington supports and coordinates with the 'Islamic State' and al Nusra. 
 
 "It a clear demonstration that America supports terror," Ambassador Riad Haddad said. 
 
 08:30 Global financial markets responded cautiously after the strike, according to DW's business department. 
 
 Click here to read more: Markets nervous, but not hectic after airstrike 
 
 08:24 The attack destroyed nine planes in the Syrian base, according to Russian state TV. 
 
 08:17 Despite the US strike, the diplomatic visit to Moscow by the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, is likely to proceed as planned, senior Russian MP Leonid Slutsky told Rossya 24. 
 
 08:07 Ankara repeated its calls to establish a "no fly" zone over Syria, saying that the strike was a "positive response to the Assad regime's war crimes." 
 
 07:54 Syria's Assad carries the "sole responsibility for this development," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel and France's President Francois Hollande. 
 
 "His repeated use of chemical weapons and his crimes against the population demanded sanctioning," they said. 
 
 Watch video 01:31 US fires cruise missiles on Syria – the first reactions 
 
 07:49 German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel described the US move as "understandable." 
 
 07:45 Russia has decided to "halt" its agreement with the US on avoiding incidents in Syrian airspace after cruise missile strikes. 
 
 07:40 Democratic congressman Ted Lieu urged more information on Trump's policies after the strike. 
 
 07:34 The strike prompted a strong response from US social media users, with many pointing out President Trump's earlier stances on bombing Syria. 
 
 07:31 China recommends avoiding "further deterioration" and urges relevant parties to stick to political statements in Syria as Chinese President Xi Jinping continues his diplomatic visit to the US. 
 
 07:27 The Syrian army raised the death toll to six people, adding that the strike caused "significant damage. 
 
 The US "carried out a flagrant aggression with missiles against one of our air bases in the central region," a spokesman said on state television. 
 
 07:21 Washington had notified NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg of plans to attack the Syrian army, according to NATO. 
 
 The alliance "can confirm that NATO Secretary-General was informed by the US Secretary of Defense prior to the strikes." 
 
 07:16 Senior Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky said that Russia was forced to fight terrorism on its own. 
 
 "We should not eliminate the possibility that the chemical attack was a provocation to undermine the rhetoric used by US President Donald Trump and return the US on the anti-Assad course," he said. 
 
 07:11 Tokyo voiced its support for the US move to "prevent the spread and use of chemical weapons." 
 
 "Many innocent people became victims from the chemical attacks," said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. "The international community was shocked by the tragedy that left many young children among the victims." 
 
 07:08 The UK says that the strike was designed to deter the regime from any new chemical weapons attacks. 
 
 "We've not been asked to be involved in this; this was not a matter for the coalition that's in Syria and Iraq fighting [the Islamic State militia]," Fallon said. "This was a United States operation, but let me emphasize again we fully support it." 
 
 07:04 Damascus does not expect military escalation with the US, said Syria's information minister. 
 
 "I believe this strike was limited in time and space, and it was expected," Minister Ramez Turjman said in a phone interview with Syrian state television. 
 
 07:01 The strike on the Syrian army was "designed" not to involve Russian personnel, said British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon. 
 
 06:50 Confused as to who is fighting whom in Syria? DW has an overview of the many factions and world powers engaged in the long and complicated war. 
 
 Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? Armed factions in Syria Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to many civilians. 
 
 Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The dictator Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad. 
 
 Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The northern watchman Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. The Turkish military has intervened alongside rebels in northern Aleppo, Afrin and Idlib province. 
 
 Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The eastern guardian The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad. 
 
 Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The western allies A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks for the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces. 
 
 Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The rebels The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished. 
 
 Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The resistance Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad. 
 
 Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The new jihadists "Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is facing defeat in both countries after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group. 
 
 Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The old jihadists IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda. 
 
 Who's fighting in the Syria conflict? The Persian shadow Iran had supported Syrian President Bashar Assad before the conflict emerged in 2011. Eager to maintain its influence in the Middle East, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country. Author: Elizabeth Schumacher, Alexander Pearson 
 
 
 
 06:45 US Senator Rand Paul said that the US president needed an approval from Congress to use military force. 
 
 06:41 Warsaw praised the US as a "guarantor of world peace and order," supporting the strike in a statement. 
 
 06:25 Missile strikes would raise tensions between Moscow and Washington, and not contribute to a political solution for the Syrian crisis, German lawmaker Jürgen Trittin told "Deutschlandfunk." 
 
 06:21 No Russians were hurt in the US missile strike on the Syrian base, a senior Russian lawmaker in charge of veteran affairs told Interfax. 
 
 06: 17 Russia's President Vladimir Putin regards the US missile strike as an act of "aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law, and also based on a made-up pretext," said his spokesman Dmitry Peskov. 
 
 06:12 Syrian government must be fully punished in the international arena, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Kurtulmus said, adding that international community must maintain its stance against Assad. 
 
 06:08 The US strike "inflicts fundamental damage on the relations between the US and Russia, which are already in a lamentable state," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. 
 
 6:02 France was informed of the US plans to conduct a missile strike ahead of time, French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault told France Info radio. 
 
 Russia and Iran needed to understand that supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad made no sense, he added, stressing that France was not seeking confrontation with those two countries. 
 
 05:58 Lebanese TV station al-Mayadeen says that the Syrian army had evacuated most of its warplanes before the US attack. 
 
 05:56 Commenting on the US move, Iran said that "unilateral action is dangerous, destructive and violates the principles of international law." 
 
 05:54 The UK endorsed the missile strike as an "appropriate response to the barbaric chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian regime." 
 
 05:50 Was the regime of President Bashar al-Assad responsible for the chemical weapons attack in northern Syria? DW spoke to several experts who suggested it could have been jihadi rebels. 
 
 
 
 Read: Is Assad to blame for the chemical weapons attack in Syria? 
 
 05:47 The death toll in the US missile strike has risen to five, with seven injured, Homs governor Talal Barazi said. 
 
 05:36 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer praised the US strike as the "right thing to do." 
 
 05:31 "Russian cruise missiles hit the terrorists, the US missiles strike Syrian government forces who are spearheading the fight against the terrorists," senior Russian lawmaker Konstantin Kosachev said on his Facebook page. 
 
 President Trump was pressured into action by the allegedly "irrefutable evidence," Kosachev added. 
 
 "How can we not remember the proverbial Iraqi anthrax vial held by Colin Powel?" the Russian politician asked, alluding to the false rationale for the Iraq war. 
 
 05:25 Iran, one of the main allies of the Assad regime, strongly condemned the US missile attack on Syrian targets. 
 
 05:17 Saudi Arabia backed the US strike, saying it was a "courageous decision" by President Donald Trump. 
 
 05:11 The missile strike raises doubts about Russia's coalition with the US on Syria, said Konstantin Kosachev, head of the foreign affairs committee in the Russian parliament. 
 
 05:07 Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says his government "strongly supports the swift and just response of the United States." 
 
 05:04 At least four Syrian soldiers were killed in the US strike, and the base was "almost completely destroyed," Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 
 
 04:59 President Trump said Assad "choked out the lives" of men, women, and children. 
 
 "Tonight I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria," he added. 
 
 Watch video 02:56 President Trump full remarks on US airstrike on Syria 
 
 04:57 Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan backed the US military action as "appropriate and just," adding that President Bashar al-Assad "must be held accountable." 
 
 04:55 The US Department of Defense released footage of the missile strike online: 
 
 04:53 The Syrian National Coalition (SNC) opposition group welcomed the strike on the Syrian air base. 
 
 04:49 The Pentagon did not know if there were Russian troops at the Syrian air base, but they have done "all they could" to avoid harming them, a US military spokesman told Interfax. 
 
 04:44 Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that he "fully supports" President Trump's decision. 
 
 04:37 Moscow will call for an urgent Security Council meeting over the attack, according to a senior Russian MP. 
 
 04:30 The US missile strike caused deaths at the Syrian base, Homs governor told the AP news agency. 
 
 ls,dj/rt (AP, dpa, Reuters, AFP, Interfax, EFE) ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The Pentagon has released video of missiles being launched from US Navy ships, targeted at a Syrian airfield. 
 
 The US has carried out a missile strike against a Syrian air base in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack on a rebel-held town. 
 
 Fifty-nine Tomahawk cruise missiles were fired from two US Navy ships in the Mediterranean. At least six people are reported to have been killed. 
 
 It is the first direct US military action against forces commanded by Syria's president. 
 
 The Kremlin, which backs Bashar al-Assad, has condemned the strike. 
 
 It comes just days after dozens of civilians, including many children, died in the suspected nerve gas attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province. 
 
 What action has the US taken? 
 
 On the orders of President Donald Trump, Navy destroyers USS Porter and USS Ross fired dozens of cruise missiles at Shayrat airfield in western Homs province at about 04:40 Syrian time (01:40 GMT). 
 
 They targeted aircraft, aircraft shelters, storage areas, ammunition supply bunkers and air defence systems at the Syrian government-controlled facility, according to the Pentagon. 
 
 It said the base was used to store chemical weapons and that "every precaution" had been taken to avoid casualties. 
 
 Speaking from his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, Mr Trump said he had acted in America's "vital national security interest" to prevent the use of chemical weapons. 
 
 Mr Trump branded President Assad a "dictator" who had "launched a horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians". 
 
 "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," he said. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Trump: "Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children" 
 
 Syrian state media said as many as nine civilians had been killed in the strike, four of them children. The BBC is unable to confirm this information. 
 
 A BBC News producer has been sharing reports from people near to the base on social media, with one describing "total devastation". 
 
 What is different about this strike? 
 
 The US has led a coalition carrying out air strikes against jihadist groups in Syria since 2014 but this is the first time it has targeted government forces. 
 
 President Trump has previously spoken out against US military involvement in Syria, instead calling for a greater focus on domestic interests. 
 
 Only last week the US Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said Washington was not prioritising the removal of the Syrian president. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Rescue workers said many children were among those killed or injured in the suspected chemical attack in Idlib 
 
 However, Mr Trump said "something should happen" against the Syrian leadership following the deaths in Khan Sheikhoun on Tuesday, without giving details. 
 
 US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also signalled a sudden shift in policy on Thursday, saying that Bashar al-Assad should have no role in a future Syria. 
 
 How has Russia responded? 
 
 The Russia government is one of President Assad's most important allies and its military has been targeting all rebel groups in Syria, including jihadists such as so-called Islamic State but also the more moderate opposition forces that the US and other Western nations have been supporting. 
 
 The Pentagon said the Russian military had been informed ahead of the US action. 
 
 But the Kremlin reacted angrily to the US strike, which the Syrian army said had caused significant damage. 
 
 Dmitry Peskov, spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin, called it "an act of aggression against a sovereign nation". 
 
 Meanwhile, the Russian foreign ministry said it was suspending a deal with the US that was designed to prevent clashes in the skies over Syria as the two countries wage different campaigns. 
 
 The Syrian authorities accused the US of supporting terrorism by undermining the regime's operations. 
 
 What impact will the US action have? Analysis by Jon Sopel, BBC North America editor 
 
 Rarely has a policy changed so far and so quickly - and rarely has it been acted upon so swiftly. 
 
 When President Trump came to office the Syrian leader was seen as a useful ally in the fight against so-called Islamic State. All talk of regime change stopped. 
 
 But the chemical weapons attack changed all that. Within two days, the US has reversed its view on President Assad, identified targets and struck. 
 
 What we don't know is whether this is a one-off act of retaliation, or the start of something more prolonged against the Assad government. Nor do we know where it leaves relations with Syria's strong ally, Russia. 
 
 What do we know about the 'chemical attack'? 
 
 At least 80 people died in the assault on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in north-western Syria. 
 
 Hundreds suffered symptoms consistent with reaction to a nerve agent after what the opposition and Western powers said was a Syrian government air strike on the area. 
 
 A White House spokesman said the Trump administration believed "with a high degree of confidence" that the attack had been launched from the Shayrat airfield by warplanes under the command of President Assad. 
 
 He also said the White House believed the substance used was the nerve agent Sarin, which is highly toxic and considered 20 times as deadly as cyanide. 
 
 Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption How has Trump's position on Syria changed? 
 
 The Syrian military denied using any chemical agents, while its ally Russia said an air strike hit a rebel depot full of chemical munitions. 
 
 What response has there been to the US strike? 
 
 The latest action was welcomed by Syrian opposition group the Syrian National Coalition. 
 
 "We hope for more strikes... that these are just the beginning," spokesman Ahmad Ramadan told AFP news agency. 
 
 Meanwhile, the UK government called the US strike "an appropriate response to the barbaric chemical weapons attack". 
 
 The UN Security Council will hold further talks on Friday as it tries to agree a resolution calling for an investigation into the deaths in Khan Sheikhoun. 
 
 Russia has already rejected a Western-backed draft. Moscow has used its veto seven times to block UN resolutions critical of its ally Syria. ||||| The U.S. military launched 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield early Friday in the first direct American assault on the government of President Bashar al-Assad since that country’s civil war began nearly six years ago. 
 
 The operation, which the Trump administration authorized in retaliation for a chemical attack killing scores of civilians this week, dramatically expands U.S. military involvement in Syria and exposes the United States to heightened risk of direct confrontation with Russia and Iran, both backing Assad in his attempt to crush his opposition. 
 
 Syria and Russia swiftly denounced the attack, launched at around 3:40 a.m. local time Friday (8:40 p.m. EDT Thursday) from U.S. ships in the eastern Mediterranean. 
 
 [Russia condemns U.S. missile strike on Syria, suspends key air agreement] 
 
 Assad called the missile strikes an “unjust and arrogant aggression” and Syrian officials said they would hamper the country’s ability to fight militant groups, Syria’s state news agency reported. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Talal al-Barazi, the governor of Homs province that includes the air base, said at least 13 people were killed in the missile strikes, including five soldiers on the base and eight civilians in areas surrounding the facility. The figures could not be independently confirmed. 
 
 In Moscow, Russia announced it was pulling out of a pact with Washington to share information about warplane missions over Syria, where a U.S.-led coalition is also waging airstrikes on Islamic State targets. 
 
 Russian President Vladi­mir Putin called for an immediate meeting of the U.N. Security Council, and his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, called the U.S. missile strikes “violations of the norms of international law, and under a far-fetched pretext.” 
 
 But President Trump said the strike was in the “vital national security interest” of the United States and called on “all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria. And also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types.” 
 
 “We ask for God’s wisdom as we face the challenge of our very troubled world,” he continued. “We pray for the lives of the wounded and for the souls of those who have passed and we hope that as long as America stands for justice then peace and harmony will in the end prevail.” 
 
 [U.S. strike against Syria: How did we get here?] 
 
 The missiles were launched from two Navy destroyers — the USS Ross and USS Porter — in the eastern Mediterranean. They struck an air base called Shayrat in Homs province, which is the site from which the planes that conducted the chemical attack in Idlib are believed to have originated. The targets included air defenses, aircraft, hangars and fuel. 
 
 (The Washington Post) 
 
 The U.S. military said initial indications were that the strike had “severely damaged or destroyed Syrian aircraft and support infrastructure.” 
 
 Syrian state TV said a U.S. missile attack hit a number of military targets inside the country, according to the Associated Press. 
 
 U.S. officials said the Russians, who maintain significant forces in Syria, were given advance warning of the strike. There is a Russian military area at the base that was hit, but the United States took precautions not to strike that area, according to Navy Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman. 
 
 In comparison, the start of the Iraq War in 2003 saw the use of roughly 500 cruise missiles, and 47 were fired at the opening of the anti-Islamic State campaign in Syria in 2014. 
 
 [These are the missiles the U.S. used in the strike against Syria] 
 
 The attack may put hundreds of American troops now stationed in Syria in greater danger. They are advising local forces in advance of a major assault on the Syrian city of Raqqa, the Islamic State’s de facto capital. 
 
 The decision to strike follows 48 hours of deliberations by U.S. officials and represents a significant break with the previous administration’s reluctance to wade militarily into the Syrian civil war and shift any focus from the campaign against the Islamic State. 
 
 Senior White House officials met on the issue of Syria on Wednesday evening in a session that lasted into early Thursday, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Army Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, Trump’s national security adviser, have communicated repeatedly since Tuesday’s chemical attack, the officials said. 
 
 The U.S. Central Command has had plans for striking the Syrian government for years and has significant assets in the region, enabling a quick response once a decision was made. 
 
 While the Obama White House began operations against the Islamic State in 2014, it backed away from a planned assault on Syrian government sites a year earlier after a similar chemical attack on Syrian civilians. 
 
 Tuesday’s apparent nerve-agent attack in northern Idlib, with its widely circulated images of lifeless children, appears to have galvanized Trump and some of his top advisers to harden their position against the Syrian leader. 
 
 The assault adds new complexity to Syria’s prolonged conflict, which includes fighters battling the Syrian government and others focused on combating the Islamic State, which despite over two years of American and allied attacks remains a potent force. 
 
 [Deadly nerve agent sarin used in Syria attack, Turkish Health Ministry says] 
 
 Within the administration, some officials urged immediate action against Assad, warning against what one described as “paralysis through analysis.” But others were concerned about second- and third-order effects, including the response of Russia, which also has installed sophisticated air defense systems in Syria, according to the officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. 
 
 The Trump administration’s position on the strongman appears to have quickly shifted in the wake of the chemical attack as senior officials voiced new criticism of the Syrian leader. 
 
 On Thursday night, McMaster predicted the strikes would result in a “big shift on Assad’s calculus. It’s the first time the United States has taken direct military action.” 
 
 McMaster described a deliberative process inside the White House and on the National Security Council, where three options were examined at the request of the president. He said that Trump made the final decision and that the strikes “clearly indicate the president is willing to take decisive action when called for.” He emphasized, however, that the move did not otherwise alter the U.S. military’s posture in Syria. 
 
 Earlier Thursday, Tillerson suggested that the United States and other nations would consider somehow removing Assad from power, but he did not say how. Just a few days ago, the White House had said that removing Assad was not realistic, with press secretary Sean Spicer saying it was necessary to accept the “political reality” in Syria. 
 
 “We are considering an appropriate response for this chemical weapons attack,” Tillerson said in Palm Beach, Fla., where Trump was meeting Thursday with Chinese President Xi Jinping. “It is a serious matter. It requires a serious response,” he said. 
 
 Speaking later Thursday, Tillerson recalled a 2013 agreement with Syria to hand over its chemical stockpile and for Russia to act as a monitor to ensure Assad did not renege on that deal. “Clearly, Russia has failed in its responsibility on that commitment,” he said. “Either Russia has been complicit or has been incompetent on its ability to deliver.” 
 
 The summit with the Chinese leader will continue Friday, and some U.S. officials say the strike will also serve as a warning of U.S. willingness to strike North Korea if China does not act to curtail the nuclear ambitions of the government there. 
 
 [Trump condemns Syria chemical attack and suggests he will act] 
 
 It was not immediately clear whether Friday’s assault marked the beginning of a broader campaign against the Assad government. While the operation was the first intentional attack on Syrian government targets, the United States accidentally struck a group of Syrian soldiers in eastern Syria last year in what officials concluded was the result of human error. 
 
 The Obama administration had insisted that Assad could never remain in any postwar Syria, and it supported rebel groups that have tried unsuccessfully to oust him. 
 
 The United States has a broad arsenal already in the region, including dozens of strike aircraft on the USS George H.W. Bush, an aircraft carrier that is deployed to the Middle East and accompanied by guided-missile destroyers and cruisers that can also launch Tomahawk cruise missiles. 
 
 Additionally, an amphibious naval force in the region includes the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit with Harrier jets and Cobra gunships. The Pentagon also has scores of aircraft in the region flying operations every day against the Islamic State group, including from Incirlik air base to the north in Turkey. 
 
 [‘Hospitals were slaughterhouses’: A journey into Syria’s secret torture wards] 
 
 The attack appears to have involved only missiles. U.S. fighter planes, if used, would have had to contend with a modest web of Syrian air defenses and potentially more-advanced types of surface-to-air missiles provided by Russia. 
 
 One of Assad’s more prevalent systems, the S-200, was used to target Israeli jets last month, but missiles were intercepted by Israeli defense systems. The S-200 has a range of roughly 186 miles, according to U.S. military documents, and can hit targets flying at altitudes of around 130,000 feet. 
 
 Russian S-300 and S-400 missiles, located primarily around Khmeimim air base in western Syria, have a shorter range than the S-200 but have more-advanced radar systems and fly considerably faster than their older counterparts used by Syrian forces. The S-300 has a range of roughly 90 miles and could also be used to target incoming U.S. cruise missiles. 
 
 In a joint statement, Sens. John McCain (R.-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said the operation “sent an important message the United States will no longer stand idly by as Assad, aided and abetted by Putin’s Russia, slaughters innocent Syrians with chemical weapons and barrel bombs.” 
 
 They also called on the administration to take Assad’s air force out of the fight and follow “through with a new, comprehensive strategy in coordination with our allies and partners to end the conflict in Syria.” 
 
 David Nakamura in Palm Beach, Fla., and Abby Phillip, Anne Gearan, Carol Morello, David Weigel and Brian Murphy in Washington contributed to this report. 
 
 Read more: 
 
 Trump and his ‘America First’ philosophy face first moral quandary in Syria 
 
 Mideast divided over U.S. strikes on Syria, much the way it is over the whole war 
 
 Which chemical weapon was used in Syria? Here’s what investigators know. ||||| Libertarian-minded Republicans like Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky blasted Trump's decision to launch strikes. | AP Photo Trump's Syria strikes divide Congress — but not along partisan lines 
 
 President Donald Trump’s missile attacks against the Syrian government on Thursday night split Congress into several camps, winning bipartisan backing from some senior lawmakers while also sparking a coalition of those on the left and right who raised constitutional concerns. 
 
 Congressional leaders in both parties largely signaled their support. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) called Trump’s strikes “appropriate and just" and said he looks "forward to the administration further engaging Congress in this effort." 
 
 Story Continued Below 
 
 Top Democrats, like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) also offered their support, but both made clear they believed any escalation would require the approval of Congress. 
 
 “Tonight’s strike in Syria appears to be a proportional response to the regime’s use of chemical weapons," Pelosi said, but added, “The crisis in Syria will not be resolved by one night of airstrikes." Durbin said “any further action will require close scrutiny by Congress, and any escalation beyond airstrikes or missile strikes will require engaging the American people in that decision." 
 
 Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said, “Making sure Assad knows that when he commits such despicable atrocities he will pay a price is the right thing to do.” The New York Democrat added, though, that “it is incumbent on the Trump administration to come up with a strategy and consult with Congress before implementing it.” 
 
 Meanwhile, libertarian-minded Republicans like Sens. Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky blasted Trump's decision to launch strikes without first getting approval by Congress. 
 
 “The President needs congressional authorization for military action as required by the Constitution,” Paul said in a Tweet. 
 
 They were joined by liberal Democrats, including Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaii and Rep. Ted Lieu of California, who also argued the use of force requires congressional approval under the Constitution. 
 
 Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.), who was the lone member of Congress to vote against the 2001 war authorization against Al Qaeda, called the strikes an “act of war” and said Congress needs to come back into session and debate the matter. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) called Trump's failure to seek congressional authorization "unlawful." 
 
 On the other side were Republican defense hawks, who offered full-throated praise for Trump’s decision — including Sens. John McCain of Arizona and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, two of Trump’s fiercest GOP critics on other issues. 
 
 “Unlike the previous administration, President Trump confronted a pivotal moment in Syria and took action,” McCain and Graham said in a joint statement. “For that, he deserves the support of the American people.” 
 
 Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, another GOP defense hawk who has sometimes been critical of Trump, also issued a statement of support. 
 
 “By acting decisively against the very facility from which Assad launched his murderous chemical weapons attack, President Trump has made it clear to Assad and those who empower him that the days of committing war crimes with impunity are over,” Rubio said. 
 
 Congress and the White House have long been at odds over the president’s constitutional war powers. 
 
 Both the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were authorized by Congress. But President Barack Obama did not seek congressional authorization for the 2011 military intervention in Libya. 
 
 Sign up here for POLITICO Huddle A daily play-by-play of congressional news in your inbox. Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. 
 
 Obama did seek authorization in 2013 for strikes against the Assad regime in Syria, though he maintained he had the power to order strikes without such an authorization. 
 
 Ultimately, Congress never acted on a resolution against the Syrian government amid significant opposition, and Obama did not launch strikes, instead pursuing diplomatic avenues for removing chemical weapons from Syria. 
 
 Many Republicans may find themselves in an awkward spot Friday as they justify their support for Trump's missile strike after suggesting similar actions by the Obama administration would be unconstitutional. 
 
 U.S. launches airstrikes in Syria poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201704/149/1155968404_5388955029001_5388944110001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404" true 
 
 Stalwart Trump ally Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), along with more than 100 colleagues, signed a 2013 letter that sharply warned Obama against a unilateral attack. "Engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States exists and without prior congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution," they wrote. 
 
 Other GOP signatories included Rep. Lynn Jenkins of Kansas, who applauded Trump as "decisive," and Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina, who commended Trump for his "swift action." A slew of other Republicans who praised Trump — including Don Young of Alaska, Martha Roby of Alabama, Roger Williams of Texas — opposed or leaned heavily against Obama's request to authorize the use of force in Syria while heaping praise on Trump Thursday night. 
 
 The Congressional Research Service addressed the issue of war powers in a report last month, noting that “in the post-Cold War world, presidents have continued to commit U.S. armed forces into potential hostilities, sometimes without a specific authorization from Congress.” 
 
 “It is generally agreed that the Commander-in-Chief role gives the President power to utilize the armed forces to repel attacks against the United States,” CRS said in its report. “But there has long been controversy over whether he is constitutionally authorized to send forces into hostile situations abroad without a declaration of war or other congressional authorization.” 
 
 The U.S. military has been conducting airstrikes in Syria since 2014, but these have been aimed at the Islamic State. The Obama and Trump administrations have cited as their legal justification for these strikes the authorization for use of military force passed by Congress after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. 
 
 Thursday’s strike was the first U.S. military action targeting the Bashar Assad regime in Syria, which Trump cast as retaliation for Assad’s most recent chemical attack on his own people. 
 
 “Tonight I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched,” Trump said Thursday. “It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.” 
 
 Elana Schor, Seung Min Kim and Heather Caygle contributed to this report. 
 
 
 
 Members of Congress react to air strikes against Assad forces in Syria The United States launched air strikes against the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad on Thursday. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Minority Leader Chuck Schemer, Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Tim Kaine, and Sen. John McCain react to the U.S. missile strike. poster="http://v.politico.com/images/1155968404/201704/685/1155968404_5389764671001_5389647039001-vs.jpg?pubId=1155968404" ||||| WASHINGTON/MOSCOW (Reuters) - A U.S. warning to Syria’s leadership against staging a chemical weapons attack was based on intelligence about what appeared to be active preparations at a Syrian airfield used for such an attack in April, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. 
 
 Russia, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s main international backer, denounced the warning and dismissed White House assertions that a strike was being prepared as “unacceptable,” raising the tension between Washington and Moscow over the Syrian civil war. 
 
 Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said the United States had recently seen activity at Shayrat airfield, the same base targeted by a U.S. cruise missile strike on April 6. 
 
 “This involved specific aircraft in a specific hangar, both of which we know to be associated with chemical weapons use,” Davis said. 
 
 Davis said the activity occurred during “the past day or two.” He did not say how the United States collected its intelligence. 
 
 The White House said on Monday it appeared the Syrian government was preparing for another chemical weapons attack and warned Assad that he and his military would “pay a heavy price” if it went ahead. 
 
 The U.S. strike on Shayrat followed the deaths of 87 people in what Washington said was a poison gas attack in rebel-held territory two days earlier. Syria denied it carried out the attack. 
 
 Russia challenged the U.S. intelligence about a possible attack. 
 
 “I am not aware of any information about a threat that chemical weapons can be used,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said during a conference call with reporters on Tuesday. 
 
 “Certainly, we consider such threats to the legitimate leadership of the Syrian Arab Republic unacceptable.” 
 
 Russian officials have privately described the war in Syria as the biggest source of tension between Moscow and Washington, and the April cruise missile strike ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump raised the risk of confrontation between them. 
 
 Assad visited a Russian air base at Hmeymim in western Syria on Tuesday, his first visit to the base from which Russian jets have supported his war effort. 
 
 Photos circulated showed the Syrian leader in the cockpit of a Russian Sukhoi SU-35 warplane, and inspecting weapons, personnel and armored vehicles at the base near Latakia. 
 
 U.S. WARNING 
 
 The Syrian military and Foreign Ministry did not comment on the White House warning, although a Syrian state-run television station, al-Ikhbariya, said the allegations were fabricated. 
 
 U.S. Senator Bob Corker, Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the concerns about preparations for a chemical weapons attack were authentic. 
 
 Syria's President Bashar al-Assad visits a Russian air base at Hmeymim, in western Syria in this handout picture posted on SANA on June 27, 2017, Syria. SANA/Handout via REUTERS 
 
 “The claims that they made, from my perspective, are valid claims,” he said. 
 
 The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said the Trump administration intended its warning to be aimed not just at Syria’s government but also at Russia and Iran, another supporter of Assad. 
 
 “I believe that the goal is, at this point, not just to send Assad a message but to send Russia and Iran a message that if this happens again we are putting you on notice,” Haley said in a hearing in the U.S. House of Representatives. 
 
 She stressed the primary U.S. goal in Syria is to fight Islamic State, not to remove Assad. 
 
 “I don’t see a healthy Syria with Assad in place, but the U.S. priority has and continues to be to fight ISIS,” she said. 
 
 Senator Tim Kaine, a Democratic member of the foreign affairs and armed services committees, who has been leading a bipartisan push for Congress to debate and vote on the use of military force in Syria, Afghanistan and elsewhere, said there was no legal justification for extracting a “heavy price” from Syria. 
 
 U.S. and allied intelligence officers had for some time identified several sites where they suspected Assad’s government may have been hiding newly made chemical weapons from inspectors, said a U.S. official familiar with the intelligence. 
 
 That assessment was based in part on the locations, security surrounding the suspect sites and other information that the official declined to describe. 
 
 Although the intelligence was not considered conclusive, Washington decided to issue the public warning to the Syrian leadership to try to deter such a strike, said the official, who declined to discuss the issue further. 
 
 Slideshow (3 Images) 
 
 The number of people killed in suspected chemical attacks is a small portion of the total dead in Syria’s civil war - a figure the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, estimates is close to half a million. 
 
 But television footage of victims of April’s attack, including children, writhing in agony, caused revulsion across the world. 
 
 After the April attack, Trump accused Assad’s government of going “beyond a red line” and approved what U.S. officials called a “one-off” strike to deter future chemical attacks.
– President Trump's decision to strike a Syrian airbase in retaliation for a chemical attack on civilians has bipartisan support—and bipartisan opposition. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sens. John McCain and Marco Rubio were joined by Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, in voicing their support for what they called an "appropriate" and "proportional" strike, though the Democrats added that Congress will have to approve any further escalation, Politico reports. Republicans including Sens. Rand Paul and Mike Lee, meanwhile, were joined by Democrats such as Sen. Tim Kaine in slamming Trump for launching the strikes without congressional approval. In other developments: Syria says the strike, which involved around 60 Tomahawk missiles launched from US destroyers in the Mediterranean, killed six people, wounded several others, and caused "significant" damage, the Los Angeles Times reports. A statement from the Syrian military denounced the strike as "blatant aggression" that will be a setback to its "counterterrorist" activity. Deutsche Welle reports that the attack was endorsed by European countries, including the UK, France, and Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel said that Bashar al-Assad bears "sole responsibility" for the strike against his regime's forces. Russia's military says only 23 out of the 59 American missiles reached the Shayrat airbase in Homs province, the AP reports. The military says the attack destroyed six Syrian planes, but left the runway intact. Vladimir Putin has denounced the strike as American aggression, a spokesman says. The New York Times looks at the risks and opportunities the strike has opened up for Trump. There's now an opportunity for the US to demand that Russia help get rid of Assad—but there's the risk Putin might reject any such deal, that the strike could hurt the fight against ISIS, and that Trump's team has no real plan for peace in Syria. Syrian opposition groups welcomed the attack and said they hoped it marked the beginning of a wider campaign against Assad. "For Syrians, any military intervention that will neutralize Assad’s ability to continue his genocide will fall on our hearts like music," a civil defense volunteer in northern Syria tells the Los Angeles Times. The Guardian reports that a monitoring group says that despite the US strike, a warplane believed to be Russian or Syrian carried out an airstrike near Khan Sheikhoun, the town hit by the chemical attack, on Friday.