Politics
09:31, 14-Apr-2018
Damascus rocked by blasts, Syria responds to US-led attack
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Loud explosions were heard across Syria’s capital of Damascus shortly after the US, France, and Britain announced they were striking Syria's chemical weapons capabilities.
US President Donald Trump said the joint airstrikes aim to deter chemical weapons use by the Syrian government, a week after a suspected chemical attack outside Damascus killed over 40 people.
Syrian air defenses have responded to their "aggression," the country's state television reported, adding that they shot down 13 missiles fired in the US-led attack in the Kiswah area south of Damascus.
According to Syrian state news agency SANA, the nation denounced the western strikes as "a flagrant violation of international law," saying it is "doomed to fail."
This is not the first time the US has struck government targets in Syria.
Last April, Trump ordered a cruise missile attack on a government air base in response to a sarin attack on Khan Sheikhoun which killed more than 80 civilians.
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