US, UK and France launch air strikes against Syria in response to the chemical weapons attack last weekend

Early this morning, the United States combined with the armed forces of the United Kingdom and France carried out precision airstrikes against the chemical weapons facilities maintained by the regime of Syria.

Announcing the move, President Trump in a live boradcast said, ‘my fellow Americans, a short time ago, I ordered the United States Armed Forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. A combined operation with the armed forces of France and the United Kingdom is now underway. We thank them both’.

Britain contributed four Tornado fighter jets armed with Storm Shadow cruise missiles to the operation, according the UK’s Ministry of Defense said

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron posted video on Twitter of its Rafale fighter jets taking off for the Syria mission. The French defense minister, Florence Parly, said the jets flew from bases in France. Like the British Tornado, the twin-engine Rafale could be armed with Storm Shadow missiles that can fly for more than 250 miles.