Donald Trump confirms 'precision strikes' on Syria

Syria has said overnight military strikes by the US, UK and France following a suspected chemical attack will "inflame tensions in the world".

The Syrian government, which denies the chemical attack, said the strikes were "brutal, barbaric aggression" by western powers and vowed to continue to "restore security and stability in all corners of the country".

State news agency SANA, quoting an official in Syria's foreign ministry, said: "The barbaric aggression will not affect in any way the determination and insistence of the Syrian people and their heroic armed forces.

"This aggression will only lead to inflaming tensions in the world and threatens international security."

President Donald Trump confirmed "precision strikes" had been ordered on targets associated with the Syrian government's chemical weapons programme.

In a televised address from the White House, he said: "A short time ago, I ordered the United States Armed Forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad."

:: LIVE: US, UK and France launch airstrikes on Syria

Mr Trump said the military action was a "combined operation" with the armed forces of the UK and France.

Video: Chemical attacks are 'crimes of a monster'

Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed she had ordered British armed forces to conduct "co-ordinated and targeted strikes to degrade the Syrian regime's chemical weapons capability and deter their use".

She said: "This is the first time as Prime Minister that I have had to take the decision to commit our armed forces in combat - and it is not a decision I have taken lightly.

"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."

Image: Theresa May speaking to the media in Downing Street following the airstrikes

Speaking on Saturday morning, Mrs May said: "Together we have hit a specific and limited set of targets. They were a chemical weapons storage and production facility, a key chemical weapons research centre and a military bunker involved in chemical weapons attacks.

"Hitting these targets with the force that we have deployed will significantly degrade the Syrian regime's ability to research, develop and deploy chemical weapons."

President Emmanuel Macron said France had joined the US and Britain to target "the capacities of the Syrian regime to produce and use chemical weapons".

"We cannot tolerate the normalisation of the use of chemical weapons," he said in a statement.

Image: Anti-aircraft fire is seen over Damascus as the US, UK and France launch airstrikes

Moments after the US, UK and France announced they were striking Syria at around 2am UK time, several consecutive large explosions were reported around Damascus.

Smoke could be seen emerging from the northern and eastern edges of the capital, state media pictures showed.

It said three civilians were wounded in the Homs attacks.

Syrian television said the attacks targeted a scientific research centre in Barzeh, near Damascus, and an army depot near Homs while it was claimed air defences had hit 13 incoming rockets south of Damascus.

The US military said the allied strikes destroyed three main chemical weapons facilities.

They included a scientific research facility in the Damascus area, a chemical weapons storage facility west of the city of Homs and a third location that contained both a command post and a chemical weapons equipment storage facility in the same area, the US military added.

The Ministry of Defence said four RAF Tornado GR4s launched Storm Shadow missiles at one of the targets near Homs.

It said the military action was "proportionate" and "specifically aimed at degrading the Assad regime's ability to use chemical weapons and deterring further such appalling acts".

Video: Babies caught up in 'chemical attack'

More than 100 missiles were fired by the US and its allies at Syria in a "one-time shot", the Pentagon said

There were no reports of any allied losses and only limited resistance in the form of some Syrian surface-to-air missile activity.

But SANA said the strikes had caused only material damage at the scientific research centre in the Barzeh district of Damascus.

Russia's defence ministry said none of the strikes had hit areas near to Russia's air and naval bases, while Russian president Vladimir Putin denounced the airstrikes as an "act of aggression".

In a statement from the Kremlin, Mr Putin said Moscow was calling an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.

Moscow's ambassador to Washington Anatoly Antonov warned that "such actions will not be left without consequences".

Welcome the news of UK military strikes against major chemical weapons facilities in Syria alongside our US and French allies. The world is united in its disgust for any use of chemical weapons, but especially against civilians — Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 14, 2018

Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said he believed the airstrikes have had a significant impact on what the country can do in future, describing them as "highly successful".

He said it is fair to say that relations with Russia are at a low point and urged Russia to use its influence to bring an end to the conflict in Syria.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the strikes were "legally questionable".

He said: "Bombs won't save lives or bring about peace. This legally questionable action risks escalating further, as US defence secretary James Mattis has admitted, an already devastating conflict and therefore makes real accountability for war crimes and use of chemical weapons less, not more likely.

"Britain should be playing a leadership role to bring about a ceasefire in the conflict, not taking instructions from Washington and putting British military personnel in harm's way."

Image: An RAF Tornado comes into land at RAF Akrotiri after concluding its mission

Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable said Mrs May should have sought Parliamentary approval for action.

He said: "Riding the coattails of an erratic US President is no substitute for a mandate from the House of Commons."

"The Government's decision fatally undermines the integrity of this mission. It shows a weak Government putting short term political expediency before democracy and in so doing further diminishing the standing of Britain in the world."