Air strike on regime base comes days after horrendous suspected chemical attacks left families including children dead and wounded in rebel-held area near Damascus
AIR strikes hit a military base in Syria reportedly killing 14 people this morning — just hours after Donald Trump warned tyrant Bashar al-Assad had a "price to pay".
Syria and allies Russia blamed Israel for carrying out the attack, which state TV claimed killed a number of Syrian troops and left at least 30 injured.
The T4 air base's defence system was triggered and allegedly shot down some of the incoming missiles in the early hours of this morning.
The strike comes after horrendous chemical attacks left 70 men, women and children dead and 500 wounded near Damascus. Syria denied its forces had carried out the slaughter.
Russia's Defence Ministry claims two Israeli F-15 jets - flying over neighbouring Lebanon - fired eight missiles at the T4 military base in the Homs province, western Syria.
Moscow said the Syrian regime shot down five of the rockets while the other three landed in the western part of the base.
Israel's foreign ministry had no comment when asked about the accusations.
Since 2012, Israel has struck inside Syria around 100 times, hitting suspected weapons' convoys destined for the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.
What we know so far:
Most recently, Israel hit the same T4 base in February, after it said an Iranian drone that had violated Israeli airspace took off from the base.
Earlier, President Trump issued a stark warning to the "animal Assad" and its allies Russia and Iran as he condemned the use of chemical weapons.
Both he and France's President Macron vowed a "strong, joint response" — while Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the attack was "truly horrific".
Global watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), has confirmed it is investigating the attack on the rebel-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta.
Russia, Iran and Syria have all denied chemical weapons had been used in the massacre.
Moscow has also warned that any military response by the West would be “absolutely unacceptable.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is monitoring the conflict in Syria, reported that 14 were killed in the missile attack this morning — including troops from the regime's ally Iran.
The Pentagon was quick to deny any involvement by the US or its Western allies in the air base strike.
A Pentagon statement read: "At this time, the Department of Defence is not conducting airstrikes in Syria.
"However, we continue to closely watch the situation and support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable."
French President Macron said in February France will strike in the event of lethal chemical weapon attack on civilians by government forces in Syria.
The Russian Defence Ministry said today that Israel was behind the missile strike carried out "without entering Lebanese airspace".
Meanwhile, reports "unknown jets" entered Syrian airspace from Lebanon, and is speculating that the jets could be Israeli.
Pentagon spokesman Christopher Sherwood told al-Hurra: "The strikes recorded in Syria this evening are not related to any military activity of any member of the international coalition within Syrian territory."
Israel, which not a member of the international coalition fighting ISIS, has conducted a number of missile attacks on targets inside Syria this year, including a strike on the Tiyas airbase itself.
According to Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen broadcaster, the missiles came from the Mediterranean Sea, through Lebanese airspace.
Video footage emerged on social media showing unknown objects suspected of being missiles flying across the sky in Lebanon towards northern Syria.
The world recoiled in horror after dying tots were pictured fighting for their lives yesterday.
Rebel groups including rescuers from The White Helmets group said at least 70 were killed when two chemical bombs hit a hospital and a block of flats.
Harrowing images - many too upsetting to publish - show entire families dead in basements as they huddled for shelter.
It is claimed an illegal Doomsday nerve agent was mixed with chlorine gas and dropped on the rebel held area after a truce collapsed on Friday.
A furious President Trump 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.";
UN war crimes investigators had previously documented 33 chemical attacks in Syria, attributing 27 to the Assad government, which has repeatedly denied using the weapons.
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