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Donald Trump's Syrian airstrike 'significant blow to US-Russia relations', says Kremlin – live Second attack on Syrian town hit by chemical weapons reported after Trump strikes in Idlib – live
(35 minutes later)
11.32am BST
11:32
The UN coordinator for humanitarian affairs says it has no sign that U.S. military strikes against a Syrian air base have had “any direct consequence” on overall aid operations in Syria, reports the Associated Press.
Jens Laerke of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said such violence “is not a new feature” of Syria’s war, and cited continued UN-led efforts to reach people in besieged and hard-to-reach areas of the country.
The United States launched cruise missile strikes against Shayart air base in Homs province following a chemical attack in a northern village that U.S. officials and others have blamed on President Bashar Assad’s forces.
UN human rights office spokeswoman Ravina Shamdasani said Friday at a UN briefing that use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, would amount to a war crime.
11.28am BST
11:28
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad “bears full responsibility” for the U.S. airstrikes against an air base in Syria, Reuters reports.
“The Syrian regime bears the full responsibility for this development,” Stoltenberg said in a statement.
“Any use of chemical weapons is unacceptable, cannot go unanswered, and those responsible must be held accountable,” said Stoltenberg, who was informed by the U.S. defence minister that strikes would go ahead.
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11:20
US missile attack risks escalation in Syria - Corbyn
Jamie Grierson
Jeremy Corbyn MP, leader of the Labour party, has broken his silence over the US missile strikes in Syria. He says:
The US missile attack on a Syrian government airbase risks escalating the war in Syria still further.
Tuesday’s horrific chemical attack was a war crime which requires urgent independent UN investigation and those responsible must be held to account.
But unilateral military action without legal authorisation or independent verification risks intensifying a multi-sided conflict that has already killed hundreds of thousands of people.
What is needed instead is to urgently reconvene the Geneva peace talks and unrelenting international pressure for a negotiated settlement of the conflict.
The terrible suffering of the Syrian people must be brought to an end as soon as possible and every intervention must be judged on what contribution it makes to that outcome.
The British government should urge restraint on the Trump administration and throw its weight behind peace negotiations and a comprehensive political settlement.
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11:16
Daniel Boffey
The European commission head, Jean Claude Juncker, responded that “he understands efforts to deter future attacks” and that the EU stood ready to play its role in finding a political solution to the crisis.
A statement for the European commission president said:
A horrific chemical weapons attack on civilians struck Khan Sheikhun on 4 April. Last night, in response, the US launched airstrikes on Shayrat airfield.
The US has informed the EU that these strikes were limited and seek to deter further chemical weapons atrocities.
President Juncker has been unequivocal in his condemnation of the use of chemical weapons.
The repeated use of such weapons must be answered. He understands efforts to deter further attacks. There is a clear distinction between airstrikes on military targets and the use of chemical weapons against civilians.
Efforts to stem the spiral of violence in Syria and work towards a lasting peace should be redoubled. Only a political transition can lead to such an outcome. President Juncker and the European commission as a whole stand ready to play their part in full.
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11:13
Helena Smith
The UK’s foreign secretary, Boris Johnson, appears to be taking a wait-and-see approach to the US president’s decision to launch the airstrike.
Emerging from talks with the Greek prime minister, Alexis Tsipras, this morning, Johnson avoided making any comment, with one aide telling reporters he was “departing immediately” for Britain.
Johnson had preferred to stick to the issues of Brexit, Cyprus and Turkey during his discussions with the Greek leader, officials in Athens told the Guardian.
A spokeswoman for Number 10 and the UK defence secretary, Michael Fallon, have said they support the strikes, adding they were “appropriate”.
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11:09
A warplane on Friday bombed the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun, where a chemical attack killed scores of people this week and prompted US missile strikes, a witness in the rebel-held area and a war monitoring group said.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based organisation that monitors the war, said a Syrian government or Russian warplane hit Khan Sheikhun, in rebel-held Idlib province, before noon local time.
The Syrian army and the Russian defence ministry could not immediately be reached for comment.
The witness, an activist working with an air raid warning service in opposition areas, said the jet struck at about 11am (0800 GMT) at the northern edge of the town, causing damage but no known casualties.
The US fired dozens of cruise missiles on Friday at an airfield from which it said the Khan Sheikhun chemical attack that killed at least 70 people was launched on Tuesday.
Washington blamed the gas attack on Syrian government forces. The Syrian government strongly denies responsibility and says it does not use chemical weapons.
The Observatory and the witness said earlier this week that the aircraft which they accused of carrying out the suspected gas attack had flown out of the Shayrat airbase.
The Syrian army said the missile attack on its airbase killed six people and caused extensive damage, describing it as a “blatant aggression”.
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11:06
Syrian state news agency claims US attack killed nine civilians, including four children
Reuters is reporting that the Syrian state news agency has said that US airstrikes killed nine civilians, including four children, in areas near the targeted airbase.
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11:02
Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, will hold a meeting of his security council later on Friday to discuss the US missile strikes on Syria, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters.
Russia has suspended its Syria air safety agreement with the United States following the missile strikes, Reuters reports.
Peskov said Russia would keep technical and military channels of communication open with Washington but would not exchange any information through them.
“In light of the missile strikes, risks [of collisions between Russian and US aircraft] are significantly higher,” the spokesman told reporters.
The strikes were carried out in the interests of Islamic State and other radical groups operating in Syria, Peskov added.
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10.49am BST10.49am BST
10:4910:49
Shaun WalkerShaun Walker
A Russian defence ministry statement read on state television said the US attack had been “ineffective” and claimed Syrian authorities were looking for 36 Tomahawk missiles which fell outside the base and missed the target.A Russian defence ministry statement read on state television said the US attack had been “ineffective” and claimed Syrian authorities were looking for 36 Tomahawk missiles which fell outside the base and missed the target.
The statement also confirmed that Russia would stop cooperation and communication with US forces in Syria.The statement also confirmed that Russia would stop cooperation and communication with US forces in Syria.
The Russian state news reporter Evgeny Poddubny is at the base and posted a video of the damage on his instagram account. He also wrote that his “preliminary information” at the base is that nine jets were destroyed in the strike. The Russian state news reporter Evgeny Poddubny is at the base and posted a video of the damage on his Instagram account. He also wrote that his “preliminary information” at the base was that nine jets were destroyed in the strike.
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10.48am BST10.48am BST
10:4810:48
Air strikes reported in chemical-attack town - Reuters Airstrikes reported in chemical attack town - Reuters
Air strikes may have struck the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun on Friday, where a chemical attack killed scores of people this week, according to a witness in the rebel-held area and a war monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights (SOHR). Airstrikes may have struck the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun on Friday, where a chemical attack killed scores of people this week, according to a witness in the rebel-held area and a war monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory on Human Rights (SOHR).
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10:4510:45
Saeed Kamali DehghanSaeed Kamali Dehghan
Iran, Assad’s staunch regional backer, was quick to condemn the US strike on Syria’s al-Shayrat airfield, saying it violated international law and risks complicating the conflict to a new level. Iran, Assad’s staunch regional backer, was quick to condemn the US strike on Syria’s al-Shayrat airfield, saying it violated international law and risked complicating the conflict further.
Tehran authorities also questioned claims that Assad was behind the chemical attack on Khan Sheikhun.Tehran authorities also questioned claims that Assad was behind the chemical attack on Khan Sheikhun.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, as the biggest victim of chemical weapons in the contemporary history, condemns all uses of chemical weapons regardless of their users or victims, and at the same time, considers any unilateral measure with this excuse as dangerous, destructive, and violating of the imperative principles of the international law,” said Bahram Ghasemi, Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesman, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.“The Islamic Republic of Iran, as the biggest victim of chemical weapons in the contemporary history, condemns all uses of chemical weapons regardless of their users or victims, and at the same time, considers any unilateral measure with this excuse as dangerous, destructive, and violating of the imperative principles of the international law,” said Bahram Ghasemi, Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesman, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency.
“We believe that the American missile attack on Shayrat air base in Syria launched from US warships, with the excuse of the mysterious chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun, Idlib, whose time, executers, and beneficiaries are shrouded in mystery, strengthens the near-to-death terrorists and complicates the situation in Syria and the whole region,” he added. “We believe that the American missile attack on Shayrat airbase in Syria launched from US warships, with the excuse of the mysterious chemical attack on Khan Shaykhun, Idlib, whose time, executers, and beneficiaries are shrouded in mystery, strengthens the near-to-death terrorists and complicates the situation in Syria and the whole region,” he added.
Updated
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Russia 24 TV has shown images of damage at the Shayrat airbase targeted by the US airstrike. Here are some screengrabs shown on BBC News:Russia 24 TV has shown images of damage at the Shayrat airbase targeted by the US airstrike. Here are some screengrabs shown on BBC News:
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at 10.57am BSTat 10.57am BST
10.33am BST10.33am BST
10:3310:33
Shaun WalkerShaun Walker
The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who is in Tashkent today, said it appears there were no Russian servicemen killed in the missile strikes.The Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who is in Tashkent today, said it appears there were no Russian servicemen killed in the missile strikes.
He also compared the action to the 2003 invasion of Iraq but said “at least that time they tried to bring some evidence forward”.He also compared the action to the 2003 invasion of Iraq but said “at least that time they tried to bring some evidence forward”.
Other politicians in Russia are lining up to condemn the US airstrike, with many claiming the news of the chemical attack was a “fake” in order to provide a pretext for military action.Other politicians in Russia are lining up to condemn the US airstrike, with many claiming the news of the chemical attack was a “fake” in order to provide a pretext for military action.
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.56am BSTat 10.56am BST
10.25am BST10.25am BST
10:2510:25
Hillary Clinton called for the US to take out Syrian government-controlled airfields just hours before Donald Trump launched airstrikes against Bashar al-Assad’s regime, PA reports.Hillary Clinton called for the US to take out Syrian government-controlled airfields just hours before Donald Trump launched airstrikes against Bashar al-Assad’s regime, PA reports.
Speaking in her first public interview since losing the US election in November last year, Clinton said Assad’s aerial power had been the key component behind widespread civilian deaths since the start of the civil war in 2011.Speaking in her first public interview since losing the US election in November last year, Clinton said Assad’s aerial power had been the key component behind widespread civilian deaths since the start of the civil war in 2011.
President Trump authorised the launchof cruise missiles in the early hours of Friday morning on a Syrian airbase thought to be behind this week’s chemical weapons attack.President Trump authorised the launchof cruise missiles in the early hours of Friday morning on a Syrian airbase thought to be behind this week’s chemical weapons attack.
Speaking to the New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, Clinton said she believed the US had been wrong not to have previously launched such an offensive.Speaking to the New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, Clinton said she believed the US had been wrong not to have previously launched such an offensive.
She said: “Assad had an air force, and that air force is the cause of most of the civilian deaths, as we have seen over the years and as we saw again in the last few days.She said: “Assad had an air force, and that air force is the cause of most of the civilian deaths, as we have seen over the years and as we saw again in the last few days.
“And I really believe that we should have and still should take out his airfields and prevent him from being able to use them to bomb innocent people and drop Sarin gas on them.”“And I really believe that we should have and still should take out his airfields and prevent him from being able to use them to bomb innocent people and drop Sarin gas on them.”
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at 10.55am BSTat 10.55am BST
10.15am BST10.15am BST
10:1510:15
Stephanie KirchgaessnerStephanie Kirchgaessner
Angelino Alfano, the Italian foreign minister, said in a statement that Italy understood the reasons behind US military action and called the strikes a “proportionate” deterrent to the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.Angelino Alfano, the Italian foreign minister, said in a statement that Italy understood the reasons behind US military action and called the strikes a “proportionate” deterrent to the further use of chemical weapons by the Assad regime.
Alfano called for a “necessary and urgent” meeting of the UN security council – where Italy, a non-permanent member, currently has a vote – and the adoption of a consensus resolution to prevent further atrocities.Alfano called for a “necessary and urgent” meeting of the UN security council – where Italy, a non-permanent member, currently has a vote – and the adoption of a consensus resolution to prevent further atrocities.
He also pointed to Rex Tillerson’s upcoming visit to Moscow, suggesting that the US secretary of state could encourage Russia to use its influence in Syria and with Assad to agree “a real ceasefire, full humanitarian access and a gradual building of trust between the Syrian parties”.He also pointed to Rex Tillerson’s upcoming visit to Moscow, suggesting that the US secretary of state could encourage Russia to use its influence in Syria and with Assad to agree “a real ceasefire, full humanitarian access and a gradual building of trust between the Syrian parties”.
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at 10.53am BSTat 10.53am BST
10.03am BST10.03am BST
10:0310:03
Justin McCurryJustin McCurry
Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he supported Donald Trump’s “resolve” against the use and proliferation of chemical weapons.Japan’s prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said he supported Donald Trump’s “resolve” against the use and proliferation of chemical weapons.
“We understand that the action taken by the United States was designed to prevent the situation [in Syria] from worsening,” Kyodo News quoted Abe as saying after a meeting of Japan’s national security council.“We understand that the action taken by the United States was designed to prevent the situation [in Syria] from worsening,” Kyodo News quoted Abe as saying after a meeting of Japan’s national security council.
Abe described Tuesday’s chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians as “extremely inhumane”, adding that he appreciated Trump’s attempts to address threats to global security, including North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.Abe described Tuesday’s chemical weapons attack on Syrian civilians as “extremely inhumane”, adding that he appreciated Trump’s attempts to address threats to global security, including North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes.
Syria aside, Abe said “the threat from weapons of mass destruction is also growing more serious in east Asia”.Syria aside, Abe said “the threat from weapons of mass destruction is also growing more serious in east Asia”.
He added: “Japan will coordinate with the United States and the rest of the international community and play its proper role in global peace and stability.”He added: “Japan will coordinate with the United States and the rest of the international community and play its proper role in global peace and stability.”
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9.55am BST
09:55
Tom Phillips
China’s Global Times, a nationalist Communist party-controlled tabloid that sometimes reflects official views, has published an online editorial criticising Trump’s strikes against Syria.
The newspaper said the attack was likely to spark conflict between the US and Russia and “took place despite no definitive results from the investigation by an international organisation, and was carried out in the absence of a UN security council resolution”.
“Trump’s decision to attack the Assad government is a show of force from the US president,” it added. “He wants to prove that he dares to do what Obama dared not. He wants to prove to the world that he is no ‘businessman president’ and that he will use US military force without hesitation when he considers it necessary.”
“This is Trump’s first major move in international affairs, and it leaves an impression that the decision was made in haste,” the newspaper added. “The Syrian civil war is entering a new phase. More refugees will flee the region and Europe may have to pay the price.”
Updated
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9.47am BST
09:47
At least seven dead in airstrike - Syrian official
A Syrian official has told the Associated Press that at least seven were killed and nine were wounded in US missile attack on airbase.
Updated
at 10.49am BST
9.36am BST
09:36
Syria rebels welcome US strike
Jamie Grierson
Syrian rebels on Friday welcomed a US strike on a government airbase and called for additional action, with one powerful faction saying a single strike was not enough, AFP reports.
“Hitting one airbase is not enough, there are 26 airbases that target civilians,” a key figure in the Army of Islam faction, Mohamed Alloush, said on Twitter. “The whole world should save the Syrian people from the clutches of the killer Bashar [al-Assad] and his aides.”
Other rebel groups welcomed the US strike and called for continued military action against the regime.
“The American strike against the killing tools used by Bashar al-Assad is the first step on the correct path to combating terrorism and we hope it will continue,” said Issam Raes, spokesman for the Southern Front rebel faction. “In my opinion, the message is political, and the message has arrived to Russia and been understood.”
Colonel Ahmed Osman, of the Turkey-backed Sultan Murad rebel group, said: “We welcome any action that will put an end to the regime that is committing the worst crimes in history.”
Mohamed Bayrakdar, another leader of the Army of Islam, which operates mainly around the capital Damascus, described the strike as “a bold and correct step”.
“We welcome any response to the crimes of the regime,” he told AFP.
Updated
at 10.49am BST
9.33am BST
09:33
What we know so far
Claire Phipps
The US has launched a missile strike against Syria, targeting al-Shayrat airbase close to Homs, from where it said this week’s sarin nerve gas attack on Khan Sheikhun was launched.
Fifty-nine Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched from warships USS Ross and USS Porter in the eastern Mediterranean in the early hours of Friday morning.
Reports from Homs province said the airbase was destroyed, and six people killed. Some reports said senior officers had evacuated the base before the airstrikes happened.
Donald Trump (read his full comments here) said the strike was a direct response to the chemical weapons attack that killed more than 70 people:
It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.
There was an angry response in Russia, where the Kremlin warned that the strikes were a “significant blow to Russian-American relations, which were already in a sorry state”. Moscow called for a meeting of the UN security council to discuss the strikes.
Tillerson said Russia bore responsibility for its handling of the 2013 deal that was supposed to remove Assad’s chemical weapons stockpile:
Either Russia has been complicit or Russia has been simply incompetent in its ability to deliver on its end of that agreement.
Tillerson said there had been “no discussions” with Moscow before the strike. But the Pentagon confirmed that Russia – a key Assad ally – had been informed in advance of the strike through military channels:
Russian forces were notified in advance of the strike using the established deconfliction line.
Sources told the Guardian that US intelligence officials believe Russian personnel were at al-Shayrat airbase when sarin was loaded on to a Syrian jet. They have not established whether the Russians knew it was happening.
The UK, Australia, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand and Japan offered strong backing for the US strikes, while Iran condemned the move. France and Germany confirmed they had been informed in advance of the attack, though China warned it opposed the use of force.
Read our latest news story here:
I’m now handing over the live blog to my colleague Jamie Grierson, who will continue to bring you the latest developments.
Updated
at 10.47am BST
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09:17
France: 'Assad bears full responsibility'
France was among the countries informed by the US ahead of the strikes, the French foreign minister, Jean-Marc Ayrault, said.
“I was told by Rex Tillerson during the night,” Ayrault said, calling the missile strike “a warning [to] a criminal regime”.
The office of the French president, François Hollande, issued a statement confirming he had spoken with the German chancellor, Angela Merkel:
The president and the German chancellor held talks on the telephone this morning on the situation in Syria.
Following the chemical massacre on April 4 in Khan Sheikhun in the north-west of Syria, a military installation of the Syrian regime used for chemical bombing was destroyed last night by US strikes. We have been informed.
Assad bears full responsibility for this development. Its continued use of chemical weapons and mass crimes can not go unpunished …
France and Germany therefore continue their efforts with partners in the United Nations framework to sanction the most appropriate criminal acts related to the use of chemical weapons banned by all treaties.
We call on the international community to come together for a political transition in Syria, in accordance with resolution 2254 of the security council and the Geneva communiqué.
Updated
at 10.49am BST
9.02am BST
09:02
Sources: Russian personnel at airbase before gas attack
Sources have told the Guardian that US intelligence officials believe Russian personnel were at al-Shayrat airbase when sarin was loaded on to a Syrian jet. They have not established whether the Russians knew it was happening.
The base covers an area of more than 8 sq km and has two runways and dozens of buildings, silos and storage facilities.
Syrian opposition figures claim to have identified the pilot allegedly responsible for bombing Khan Sheikhun at about 6.30am on 4 April. Five hours later, close to 11.30am, a hospital treating victims from the attack was hit by a conventional bomb, dropped from a jet.
The sources say that on both occasions, a Russian Sukhoi was monitored by ground radar and aerial reconnaissance flying over the town. Flashes were picked up on the ground, indicating that ordnance had been dropped.
The air space over northern Syria is monitored heavily by Turkey, the US and Russia, and all three have precise knowledge of whose jets are in the air and where they fly.
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8.56am BST
08:56
Eleanor Ainge Roy
New Zealand has joined the list of nations backing the airstrikes, with prime minister Bill English saying the US action was supported by NZ.
Foreign minister Murray McCully said:
It is becoming clear that Syrian government forces were responsible for the outrageous attacks where chemical weapons were used.
These events are horrific. It is critical that the international community emphatically demand an end to this violence, and that the Syrian government be held to account.
In the absence of an adequate response from the United Nations security council, we can understand why the United States has taken targeted unilateral action to try and prevent further such attacks by the Syrian regime.
8.49am BST
08:49
Russia calls for UN security council meeting on strikes
Russia (which, along with China, has vetoed previous UN resolutions against Assad) has called for a meeting of the UN security council to discuss the US strikes:
#BREAKING Russia calls for UN Security Council meeting on US Syria strikes
Russia also says it is suspending its agreement to communicate with the US over the use of Syrian airspace – possibly a reference to the so-called “deconfliction line”, via which the US military gave Russia warning on Thursday of the missile strikes (more on that here):
#BREAKING Russia 'halts' agreement with US to avoid clashes in Syria airspace: ministry
8.42am BST
08:42
Tom Phillips
China, which has repeatedly blocked UN resolutions against Assad, has now issued its official response to the US strikes on Syria.
Speaking at a press conference in Beijing, the foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying, stopped short of explicitly condemning the US airstrikes but said China had always been opposed to the “use of force”.
Hua said China also opposed “the use of chemical weapons by any country, organisation or individual, in any circumstance and for any purpose”.
There was now an urgent need to prevent a “further deterioration” of the situation in Syria, Hua added.
Updated
at 10.28am BST
8.33am BST
08:33
With the UK, Australia, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Japan offering strong backing for the US strikes, Indonesia has given a more cautious response.
Foreign ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir told Reuters via text message that Indonesia strongly condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria but added:
At the same time, Indonesia is concerned with unilateral actions by any parties, including the use of Tomahawk missiles, in responding to the chemical weapon attack tragedy in Syria.
Updated
at 10.41am BST