President
Trump on Friday announced that he has approved military strikes in Syria
against the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
The
decision follows a suspected chemical gas attack from the Assad regime on a
rebel-held town near the Syrian capital last weekend.
Trump's announcement
immediately preceded reports of loud explosions lighting up the sky in
Damascus.
The United States launched the
response, along with assurance from France and the United Kingdom, Trump
stated.
At least 40 people died in the
attack in Douma, about 10 miles east of Damascus, and over 500 people, mostly
women and children, were injured and brought to medical centers. The attack
occurred amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the
collapse of a truce. Syrian activists, rescuers and medics said families
suffocated in their homes.
Assad's actions, Trump said,
"are not the actions of a man," but "are the crimes of a monster
instead."
A similar chemical attack in
Khan Sheikhoun in April 2017 that killed nearly 100 people prompted the U.S. to
launch dozens of cruise missiles at a Syrian airfield to dissuade Assad from
using chemical weapons in the future, officials said. But during the weekend,
images of dead and sick women and children again circulated following another
alleged chemical attack.
In his statement, the president
also hit Russia and Iran for their sustained support of the Assad regime.
"To Iran and to Russia I
ask, what kind of nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of
innocent men, women and children," Trump asked.
"The nations of the world
can be judged by the friends that they keep," he continued. "Russia
must decide if it will continue down this dark path or continue with civilized
nations."
This
is a developing story; please check back for updates
Fox
News’ Ben Evansky and Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
