The United States launched more than 50 Tomahawk cruise missiles on Friday targeting the Syrian airbase of Al-Shayrat on orders of President Donald Trump. The missiles were launched between 2 and 3 am CET on Friday from two US naval vessels in the eastern Mediterranean sea, according to military officials cited by the American media.
The military strike is a direct reaction to the suspected chemical attack earlier this week in Syria that left more than 80 people dead in the province of Idlib. Before the strike, President Trump was briefed by military officials and Secretary of Defense General James Mattis on steps the US could take in light of the poison gas attack which the US considers was executed by the Syrian government headed by President Bashar al-Assad.
In the prior weeks, the Trump administration signaled a different approach to the Syrian conflict, with officials claiming the US would shift its attention on defeating ISIS in the war-torn country, rather than insisting on ousting the Assad government. However, the latest incident, which is being described as a gas attack with the nerve agent sarin, prompted the US president to reconsider his policy on Syria. The airbase that was attacked today is believed to be the base from which Syrian forces launched their alleged attack in rebel-held Idlib on Tuesday. Syria denied the government’s responsibility for the attack.