The U.S. struck multiple targets in Syria overnight local time in response to an alleged chemical attack April 7 by the regime of President Bashar Assad on its citizens.
The chemical attack occurred in the Damascus suburb of Douma, which had been held by rebel forces for years in Syria’s continuing civil war. Rebel forces abandoned Douma following the latest attack.
Initial reports indicate the U.S. launched cruise missiles from ships in the Mediterranean Sea.
In the days leading up to the U.S. attack, Russia had warned that it would defend its troops in Syria. This has raised fears of a possible direct clash of U.S. and Russian forces.
The U.S. strike comes almost exactly a year after a previous U.S. strike, which was also in response to the Syrian regime’s alleged use of chemical weapons. In that strike, on April 7, 2017, the U.S. launched 59 cruise missiles on a Syrian military airbase.
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