The United States, Britain and France carried out a wave of strikes against Bashar al-Assad's Syrian regime on Saturday in response to alleged chemical weapons attacks that President Donald Trump branded the "crimes of a monster," according to AFP.
An AFP correspondent in Damascus heard consecutive blasts at 4:00 am (0100 GMT), followed by the sound of airplanes overhead. Smoke could be seen rising from the northern and eastern edges of the capital.
Trump said he had ordered US forces to launch precision strikes "on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad." He said a combined operation had been launched with the forces of Britain and France, whose leaders have rallied behind Trump's call for a response to an alleged chemical attack on the town of Douma, the report says.
Joseph Dunford, Washington's top general, said the strikes hit targets near Damascus and in Homs province including a scientific research centre, storage facilities and a command post. Syrian surface-to-air missile batteries had attempted to fire back, but there were no initial reports of losses, he added.
Syrian state media said air defenses were activated to block the attack and published images of smoke clouds hanging over the capital.
AFP said Syria's foreign ministry denounced the strikes as a "brutal, barbaric aggression" and suggested they were aimed at "hindering" the work of inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons due to start in Damascus later on Saturday. And compared with a US strike following a chemical attack a year ago, when only cruise missiles were used against a single airfield, these strikes were a marked escalation.
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said no additional strikes were planned. "Right now this is a one-time shot," he said.
Trump also warned Russia and Iran not to stand by their ally in Damascus, the report added, "Russia must decide if it will continue down this dark path or if it will join with civilised nations as a force for stability and peace," Trump argued.
Russia's defence ministry said more than 100 cruise missiles and air-to-land missiles had been fired and that "a significant number" were shot down.
It said that none of the Western strikes in Syria had hit areas covered by Russia's air defences around its Hmeimim air base and naval facility in Tartus.
France's President Emmanuel Mcron was also shared the anger with Trump and stated "We cannot tolerate the normalization of the use of chemical weapons."
Defence Minister Florence Parly said France fired cruise missiles from frigates in the Mediterranean and deployed fighter jets from home bases as part of its strikes.
While Britain's defense ministry said that four British Tornado jets had fired Storm Shadow missiles at a base 15 miles (25 kilometers) west of Homs city.
In the days between the attack in Douma and the US-led response, Washington and Moscow clashed repeatedly in duelling statements and debates, Iran also warned of the potential impact of the strikes on the volatile Middle East, "They are responsible for the regional consequences of this adventurist action," Iran Foreign ministry said.