British Tornado strike aircraft joined a coalition of United States and French aircraft in the early hours of Saturday morning to launch strikes against Syrian government targets associated with chemical weapons.
The strikes came after Western governments claimed to be in the possession of “proof that chemical weapons were used last week… by the regime of Bashar al-Assad”, and “a significant body of information including intelligence indicates the Syrian Regime is responsible for this latest attack”. A joint strike in the early morning of Saturday morning saw British, French, and United States aircraft after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the attack from the Whitehouse.
It is reported the targets of the strikes were a scientific facility near Damascus and two storage areas near Homs, all of which are said to have been involved in the use of chemical weapons by the Assad government.
In this image released by Britain’s Ministry of Defense, two of four RAF Tornados prepare to take-off from at Britain Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri, Cyprus Saturday, April 14, 2018 / Cpl L Matthews/MoD via AP
In this image released by Britain’s Ministry of Defense, a Tornado pilot sits in his cockpit before flying at Britain Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri, Cyprus Saturday, April 14, 2018. / Cpl L Matthews/MoD via AP
Over 100 missiles are reported to have been launched by the coalition nations during the strike, some of which are claimed to have been shot down by Syrian air-defences. Photographs taken in Damascus and published by the Associated Press news agency appear to show the night-time sky lit up by the trails of anti-air missiles, and the curved trail of anti-air tracer.
Damascus skies erupt with missile fire as the U.S. launches an attack on Syria targeting different parts of the capital Syria, early Saturday, April 14, 2018 / AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
Damascus skies erupt with service to air missile fire as the U.S. launches an attack on Syria targeting different parts of the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, early Saturday, April 14, 2018 / AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
At a press conference at Downing Street on Saturday morning, British Prime Minister Theresa May emphasised that this military strike against the Syrian government was not an intervention in the Syrian civil war, but rather a “limited and targeted strike” punishment for the use of chemical weapons.
All coalition aircraft returned from the strike Saturday morning without casualties.
Damascus skies erupt with anti-aircraft fire as the U.S. launches an attack on Syria targeting different parts of the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, early Saturday, April 14, 2018 / AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
Smoke rises after airstrikes targeting different parts of the Syrian capital Damascus, Syria, early Saturday, April 14, 2018. Syria’s capital has been rocked by loud explosions that lit up the sky with heavy smoke as U.S. President Donald Trump announced airstrikes in retaliation for the country’s alleged use of chemical weapons. / AP Photo/Hassan Ammar
This image made from video shows a fighter jet landing at Akrotiri military British Royal Air Force Base, Cyprus, Saturday, April 14, 2018. Fighter jets were seen taking off from a British Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Cyprus early on Saturday morning. Their destination was not revealed. The jets landed to Akrotiri Military Base, Cyprus, after the US President Donald Trump’s announcement that the US, France and Britain together launched military strikes in Syria to punish President Bashar Assad for his alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians and to deter him from doing it again. / AP Video
In this image released by Britain’s Ministry of Defense, an RAF Tornado comes into land at Britain Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, after its mission to conduct strikes in support of operations over the Middle East Saturday, April 14, 2018 / Cpl L Matthews/MoD via AP
In this image released by Britain’s Ministry of Defense, an RAF Tornado taxis into its hangar after landing at Britain Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, after its mission to conduct strikes in support of operations over the Middle East Saturday, April 14, 2018 / Cpl L Matthews/MoD via AP
In this image released by Britain’s Ministry of Defense, a Tornado pilot checks the weapons on his Tornado at Britain Royal Air Force base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, after its mission to conduct strikes in support of operations over the Middle East Saturday, April 14, 2018 / Cpl L Matthews/MoD via AP