Syrian warplanes took off from an airbase just hours after it was hit by US cruise missiles on Friday, and carried out strikes on rebel-held areas in the eastern Homs countryside, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
The US Navy had fired dozens of missiles at the air base near Homs city in response to a chemical attack this week which Washington and its allies blamed on the Damascus government.
The British-based Observatory, a group monitoring the Syrian war using sources on the ground, said eight people had been killed in the US attack.
The Syrian opposition applauded the cruise missile strike but said it was not enough to stop government warplanes from hitting rebel-held areas.
The Syrian opposition has long criticised the United States for failing to protect rebel-held areas from government air strikes, demanding the creation of a no-fly zone or the provision of anti-aircraft weapons to rebel groups.
US President Donald Trump’s decision to launch missiles at the airbase marked a dramatic departure from the more cautious approach of his predecessor Barack Obama.
Opposition groups in Syria called for more.
“One airbase is not enough. There are 26 airbases that target civilians,” tweeted Mohammad Alloush, a senior rebel official. George Sabra, a prominent opposition politician, told al-Hadath TV: “The truth is that militarily, if it is limited to this strike, then it has no meaning.”
The Free Syrian Army, a loose alliance of rebel groups that includes factions that have received military support from the United States, called the U.S. strike the “correct starting point” for finding a “just political solution” to the war
“We view that the responsibility of the United States is still great, and does not stop with this operation,” it added in a statement, warning that the Damascus government and its allies could commit “acts of revenge” against civilians.
American officials described the attack — the first direct U.S. assault on the government of President Bashar al-Assad in six years of civil war — as a one-off that would not lead to wider escalation. Syrian officials and their allies also said they did not expect the attack to lead to an expansion of the conflict.
More needed
The strikes targeted the base at Shayrat, 40 km (25 miles) southeast of Homs city, from which Washington and Syrian opposition groups say Syrian warplanes launched a chemical weapons attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun this week.
The Syrian government has strongly denied responsibility and says it does not use chemical weapons. The Homs governor said on Friday the base was being used to provide air support for operations against Islamic State east of Palmyra.
Hassan Haj Ali, commander of the Free Idlib Army rebel group, which fights under the FSA umbrella, told Reuters the US cruise missile strikes came at a “very important phase” and showed Syrians that “there is still humanity in this world”. He said he did not expect further such US attacks, however.
Nasr al-Hariri, chief negotiator of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), said on Twitter that the strikes “should they continue, would kick off a correct start in combating terrorism”.
The Saudi-based HNC, the main opposition body which includes political and armed groups, has participated in U.N.-sponsored peace talks in Geneva.
“We hope for the continuation of the strikes in order to prevent the regime from using its planes to launch any new air raids or going back to using internationally banned weapons,” said Ahmad Ramadan, head of the media office of the Syrian National Coalition political opposition group.
“The airbase targeted by the U.S. strike was used to kill Syrians,” Ramadan said. The American attack “sends a clear message to the regime and its backers” that they can no longer avoid repercussions.
Ilmunc Makesuill
Nobody can. You see, that is what matters. Let’s not indulge/drown in the idea of "justice".
Hassan Hassani Really. It took George Bush one year to convince people that Saddam had WMD (and than we found that there was none), It took Trump two days to convince you that it Assad that gassed his own people!
In case of Saddam Hussein at least Americans tried to make a case. In this case we have only heard that the motive for Assad to gas his own people was to test what will Americans do? Really, you think Assad is that stupid or are you guys that stupid to belive such moronic explanation?
Even for earlier Gas attack in 2012 it is not known who did, most likely explanation is CIA with Turkish help did that attack too,. But we know criminal Ameicans will kill and strike for no reason as they have done in last 50 years.
Now who do you think will really prevail in honest court. A criminal who has been attacking innoncent peoples for last 50 years or a guy who had no reason but is wrongly accused! Remember Americans killed 10 people who looked like bin-Laden before they got him.
What if some foreign government demanded the US president’s violent downfall in support of a fundamentalist Christian group and then because of police brutality fired missiles on American territory? The hypocrisy is glaring.
One can only be shocked, but not awed, by this supposedly "shock-and-awe" display of American might ! What is breath-taking is not the Tomahawk missiles, but the hypocrisis coming out of the USA .
"What about International Law"?? A if Assad’s gassing of children did not violate int’l law.
I meant breath-taking Technologyl! Typo, sorry!
Btw, the drone and cruise missile technology is breath technology for the precision of hitting targets with surgical skill and no collateral damages!
The job of punishing President Bashar should have been given to recently formed All Muslim Army of 50+ Muslim countries. It was headed by former Pak. General Raheel.
I can understand the confusion you stupid Americans have. After all it is American right to bomb and kill anyone that is given in your Bible.
But let us see why is it illegal. Let us say two people are fighting and you third person go and stab someone. Do you think you can use the logic: Two guys were fighting I just killed one but then these people might have killed anyway, so I am innocent! You think this legal argument works in your stupid America.
Secondly it is not leftist argument. In fact most people on this website loved when Killary was defeated because she promised to get more involved and kill more people around the world. We thought right wing moron who said well we are superior to everyone else so we need to stay home and make ourselves better. Everyone here appluaded and prayed this happens. But then we realized that CIA had some secret documents on him and they blackmailed Trump that either you protect our terrorists or we go public. And Trump buckled and decided to side with ISIS-Al_Qaeda terrorists and decided to get American involved again. And for umpteenth time in last fifty year American action is illegal. The argument goes like this: if you have terrorist asstes in foreign contry you bring them to your country afetr they loose their use. You don’t start madly bombing everyone, it is just declaration of war.
Reuters, another discredited propaganda organ for the 1%
Reuters, the loud speaker of the Zionists, shame on you and on your Uk, Saudi-based "opposition", aka mercenary terrorists
Wars being fought all over the Middle East and a US attack is somehow a Legal Fail?" Hardcore leftist bs propaganda, I think.
Disgusting murderous behaviour of the US hegemon
The might US dollar is the law. You are either with us or with them
What about International Law fail?
The US missile attack was clearly in violation of international law.
No protests from legal experts at Reuters?
Wonder why!