Who bombed Syria? Was Israel behind the 2018 attack and what has Donald Trump said about ‘animal Assad’?
RUSSIA claimed Israel carried out air strikes in Syria hours after an alleged horror chemical attack on civilians.
Syria’s state-run news agency said its air defences downed eight missiles targeted at a military base in the early hours of April, 9 2018.
Did the US or Israel order the new missile strike in Syria?
The Russian military claimed that two Israeli F-15 war planes carried out airstrikes on a Syrian air base near Homs in April.
Interfax cited the Russian Defense Ministry as saying the Israeli war planes had carried out the strikes from Lebanese air space.
The Russian ministry said that Syrian air defence systems had shot down five of eight missiles fired, while the other three landed in the western part of the base.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov later said that the strike was "a dangerous development."
The report said the attack on the T4 military air base in Homs province “is likely to be an American aggression.”
It later claimed the alleged missile attack had resulted in 14 casualties on the ground.
The US Department of Defence quickly denied it had fired any missiles at the war-torn country.
It added it would "support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable."
The Israeli military did not comment on reports they were involved in the missile attack.
So why are Syria and 'animal Assad' in the firing line?
US President Donald Trump warned there would be a "big price to pay" for the chemical attack against a besieged rebel-held town in Syria.
Medical aid groups reported dozens of people were killed by poison gas - many of them young children.
The Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack and Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, called the reports bogus.
However, official sources said at least 70 people had died in the attack late on Saturday, April 7, 2018, in the town of Douma.
What did Donald Trump say about the chemical attacks?
US President Donald Trump has promised a "forceful" response to the alleged chemical attack in Syria, as Western leaders consider what action to take.
"Nothing is off the table," said Mr Trump, when asked whether he was considering military action.
"We are making a decision with respect to what to do with the horrible attack on Syria," he said.
"It will be met, and it will be met forcefully. I won’t say when, as I don’t like talking about timing.
"We’re going to make a decision tonight, or very shortly after, and you’ll be hearing the decision.
"In our world, we can’t let that happen, because of the power of the United States, the power of our country, when we can stop it."
Mr Trump said the US was getting some "good clarity" on who was responsible for the incident in Douma.
Earlier he wrote on Twitter: "Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria.
"Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world.
"President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay."
He added: "Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"
What has been the US role in war-torn Syria?
The US has long accused Assad of responsibility for widespread atrocities in his country insisting he must be removed from power.
Here is a timeline of America's recent interventions in the trouble land.
- Mar 2011 - Protests over detention of boys accused of painting anti-govt graffiti
- May 2011 - US orders sanctions against Assad regime for human rights violations
- Aug 2011 - Obama calls on Assad to resign and orders Syrian govt assets frozen
- July 2012 - The US withdraws its diplomats from Syria over continued outrages
- Aug 2013 - Obama asks Congress to authorise limited military strike against Assad
- Sep 2013 - Syria wards off US strike by saying it would relinquish chemical weapons
- Jun 2014 - ISIS declares caliphate in areas it controls in Iraq and Syria
- Aug 2014 - The US military sends drones to patrol the skies over Syria
- Sep 2014 - The US launches airstrikes on Islamic State targets in Syria
- Sep 2015 - Russia begins launching airstrikes in support of Assad's forces
- Oct 2015 - It's reported 2,000 US troops are on ground training anti-ISIS fighters
- Dec 2015 - The US ships 994 tonnes of weapons and ammunition to rebel groups
- Mar 2016 - US-led airstrike targets and kills ISIS commander Omar al-Shishami
- Apr 2016 - Obama sends in an additional 250 Special Operations Forces soldiers
- Aug 2016 - Multiple coalition warplanes destroy some 83 oil tankers used by Isis
- Apr 2017 - US launches missiles at Syrian air base after a chemical attack
- May 2017 - A coalition drone strike in Syria stops an Isis-staged public execution
- Jun 2017 - US air force targets 60 ISIS troops, a tank and armed trucks
- Apr, 4 2018 - Trump agrees to keep troops in Syria a little longer to defeat ISIS
- Apr, 8 2018 - Trump warns "animal Assad" will pay the price for chemical attack
- Apr, 9 2018 - The Pentagon denies it is responsible for a missile attack in Homs
- Apr, 10 2018 - Trump vows"forceful" response to alleged chemical attack
Why is Syria so important to Trump and the West?
America also had other reasons to play a role in the Syrian crisis as the country is one of the pivotal countries in the Middle East.
It borders Turkey and Israel, has a close relationship with Iran and Russia, plays an influential role in Lebanon, and has a history of rivalry with Iraq.
Syria is a key link in the alliance between Iran and the Lebanese Shiite movement of Hezbollah Lebanon.
Syria has been at odds with US policies in the region practically since its independence in 1946 and has fought several wars with Israel, America’s top regional ally.
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