Just hours after it was hit by U.S. missiles, two warplanes resumed bombing missions from the Syrian airbase where it was alleged that the recent chemical attack on civilians was carried out, according to the AFP news agency.
AFP reports that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the planes “took off from inside the Shayrat base, which is partially back in service, and struck targets near Palmyra.” It wasn’t specified if the planes were Syrian or Russian and it’s not known what the nature of their mission was.
#UPDATE Two Syrian warplanes carry out bombing raid from central airbase struck by US missiles overnight https://t.co/YwkEF5cS5T
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) April 7, 2017
On Friday morning, U.S. forces launched 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Shayrat airbase in central Syria in response to a chemical attack allegedly carried out by the Syrian government, killing almost 80 civilians, many of them children.
Reports say Syria was warned about a potential attack, most likely through Russia who was also notified.
“We took precautions in more than one military point, including in the Shayrat airbase. We moved a number of airplanes towards other areas,” a Syrian military source told AFP.
US officials said Russia’s military in Syria had been informed of the strike beforehand in order to avoid casualties that could prompt a broader crisis.
The US said the missiles targeted radars, aircraft, and air defence systems and destroyed around 20 Syrian planes, but said the runway was intact.
Russia’s military said the strike had an “extremely low” military impact, with fewer than half of the 59 missiles reaching the airbase.
The Observatory reports that 8 Syrian personnel were killed in the strike. Uncorroborated state news reports say 9 civilians near the base were killed.
#Syria State TV broadcasts amateur footage of the #Shoayrat airbase airstrikes shot during and after #syriaairstrikes pic.twitter.com/aXkltNvTpZ
— Riam Dalati (@Dalatrm) April 7, 2017
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