Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
At least nine civilians have been killed in missile strikes launched by the United States military on a Syrian airbase.
Among the fatal casualties were four children.
On Tuesday, at least 72 people, including 20 children, were reportedly killed in Syria when chemical missiles were launched by those Mr Donald Trump called allies of Syrian President, Mr Bashar al-Assad.
The US retaliatory missile attack is the first direct American attack on the Mr Assad’s regime.
Late Thursday, President Trump directed the US military to fire dozens of Tomahawk missiles against a Syrian regime airbase.
The US launched 59 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles from the destroyers USS Porter and USS Ross in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.
The missiles targeted “aircraft, hardened aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems, and radars” located at the al-Shayrat airbase in Syria, according to an official statement from the Pentagon, Vox.com reports.
Meanwhile, Moscow has described the attack as an aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said the US carried out the strikes under a “far-fetched pretext”.
Russia has diverted a warship to protect the Syrian coast and vowed to bolster Bashar al-Assad’s missile defences against more US strikes, risking a confrontation between the former Cold World foes.
