New video released by the U.S. military shows the USS Porter launching Tomahawk missiles on the Syrian air base early Friday morning

Russia has accused the US of violating international law after President Donald Trump unleashed a barrage of cruise missiles on a Syrian air base in retaliation for the regime’s use of chemical weapons.

The president said the dramatic strike from US warships in the Mediterranean was in the “vital national security interest”, and the US had to “prevent and deter” the spread and use of chemical weapons.

But the American action drew a furious response from the Kremlin which condemned an “aggression against a sovereign state in violation of international law”.
Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said the Americans had used a “far-fetched pretext” to justify the attack while the defence ministry in Moscow said it would be helping its Syrian ally strengthen its air defences.
Britain led international support for the attack, describing it as a “limited and appropriate” response to the use of chemical weapons by the regime of President Bashar Assad against its own people.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said the Government had been in “close contact” with the US administration in the run-up to the strike.

The Syrian military said at least seven people were killed and several others injured in the strike which caused extensive damage to the base at Shayrat, in central Syria, from where Tuesday’s chemical strike was believed to have been launched.
However Russian defence ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov sought to play down the impact, claiming fewer than half the missiles reached the air base, destroying just six Syrian MiG-23 fighters and leaving the runway intact.
The surprise barrage of 59 cruise missiles in the early hours of Friday, UK time, was the first time the US has struck directly against the Syrian government.

In an emotive broadcast, Mr Trump said he was responding to the regime’s attack - believed to have involved sarin nerve agent - on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun which left at least 72 people dead, including 20 children.
He said: “Using a deadly nerve agent, Assad choked out the lives of helpless men, women and children. It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror.”