Allied missiles struck at the heart of Syrian chemical weapons arsenal in a show of force and resolve aimed at punishing the Assad government for a suspected poison gas attack against civilians and deterring the possible future use of such banned weapons.

鈥淎 perfectly executed strike,鈥� President Donald Trump tweeted Saturday in the aftermath of his second decision in two years to fire missiles against Syria. 鈥淐ould not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!鈥�

A perfectly executed strike last night. Thank you to France and the United Kingdom for their wisdom and the power of their fine Military. Could not have had a better result. Mission Accomplished!

鈥� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)

His choice of words recalled a similar claim associated with President George W. Bush following the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Bush addressed sailors aboard a ship in May 2003 alongside a 鈥淢ission Accomplished鈥� banner, just weeks before it became apparent that Iraqis had organized an insurgency that tied down U.S. forces for years.

Syria鈥檚 chief allies, Russia and Iran, called the use of force by the United States, Britain and France a 鈥渕ilitary crime鈥� and 鈥渁ct of aggression鈥� with the potential to worsen a humanitarian crisis after years of civil war. The U.N. Security Council planned to meet later Saturday at Moscow鈥檚 request.

鈥淕ood souls will not be humiliated,鈥� Syrian President Bashar Assad tweeted, while hundreds of Syrians gathered in Damascus, the capital, where they flashed victory signs and waved flags in scenes of defiance after the one-hour barrage launched Friday evening (early Saturday in Syria).

Before a planned Pentagon briefing Saturday, officials said Air Force B-1B strategic bombers launched JASSM 鈥渟tandoff鈥� missiles for the first time in combat, evading Syrian air defences. In all, the Navy launched a little more than 100 Tomahawk cruise missiles from destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea. The officials, who provided details on condition of anonymity ahead of public announcements, said Syria鈥檚 air defences were ineffective.

A global chemical warfare watchdog group said its fact-finding mission would go as planned in Douma, where the apparent use of poison gas against civilians on April 7 that killed more than 40 people compelled the Western allies to launch their attack. Syria has denied the accusation.

But France鈥檚 foreign minister said there was 鈥渘o doubt鈥� the Assad government was responsible, and he threatened further retaliatory strikes if chemical weapons were used again, as did Pentagon chief Jim Mattis, who said the assault was a 鈥渙ne-time shot,鈥� as long as chemical weapons weren鈥檛 used again.

NATO representatives planned a special session to hear from U.S., British and French officials.

Pentagon officials said the attacks, carried out by manned aircraft and from ships that launched cruise missiles from the Mediterranean Sea, targeted the heart of Assad鈥檚 programs to develop and produce chemical weapons. Russia鈥檚 military said Syrian air defence units downed 71 out of 103 cruise missiles fired by the allies.

Mattis said Friday there were no reports of U.S. losses in what he described as a heavy but carefully limited assault.

Trump said the U.S. was prepared to sustain economic, diplomatic and military pressure on Assad until he ends what Trump called a criminal pattern of killing his own people with internationally banned chemical weapons. That did not mean military strikes would continue; in fact, Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said no additional attacks were currently planned.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin reaffirmed the Kremlin鈥檚 skepticism about the allies鈥� Douma claim, saying Russian military experts had found no trace of the attack. He criticized the U.S. and its allies for launching the strike without waiting for international inspectors to visit the area.

But British Prime Minister Theresa May cited reports she said indicated the Syrian government used a barrel bomb 鈥� large containers packed with fuel, explosives and scraps of metal 鈥� to deliver the chemicals. 鈥淣o other group鈥� could have carried out that attack, she said, adding that the allies鈥� use of force was 鈥渞ight and legal.鈥�

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said the West鈥檚 response was 鈥渘ecessary and appropriate.鈥�

Mattis disclosed that the U.S. had not yet confirmed that the Douma attack 鈥� the most recent suspected Syrian chemical weapons attack, on April 7 鈥� included the use of sarin gas. He said at least one chemical was used 鈥� chlorine, which also has legitimate industrial uses and had not previously triggered a U.S. military response.

He said the targets selected by U.S., British and French officials were meant to minimize civilian casualties.

鈥淭his is difficult to do in a situation like this,鈥� he said, in light of the volatility of chemical agents.

Defence officials from the countries involved in the attack gave differing accounts of how much warning was given to the Russians, Syria鈥檚 powerful ally.

Dunford said the U.S. did not co-ordinate targets with or notify the Russian government of the strikes, beyond normal airspace 鈥渄e-confliction鈥� communications. But the description from an ally put things differently. French Defence Minister Florence Parly said that 鈥渨ith our allies, we ensured that the Russians were warned ahead of time.鈥�

At a Pentagon news conference alongside Mattis, and with British and French military officers beside them to emphasize allied unity, Dunford said the attacks targeted mainly three targets in western Syria.

Dunford said missiles first struck a scientific research centre in the Damascus area that he said was a centre of Syrian research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological warfare technology. The second target was a chemical weapons storage facility west of Homs. He said this was believed to be the main site of Syrian sarin and precursor chemical production equipment.

The third target was a chemical weapons equipment storage facility and an important command post, also west of Homs, Dunford said.

British leader May said in London that the West had tried 鈥渆very possible鈥� diplomatic means to stop Assad from using chemical weapons. 鈥淏ut our efforts have been repeatedly thwarted鈥� by Syria and Russia, she said.

鈥淪o there is no practicable alternative to the use of force to degrade and deter the use of chemical weapons by the Syrian regime,鈥� May said. 鈥淭his is not about intervening in a civil war. It is not about regime change.鈥�

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement that a target of the strike was the Syrian government鈥檚 鈥渃landestine chemical arsenal.鈥�

The Syrian government has repeatedly denied any use of banned weapons.

The decision to strike, after days of deliberations, marked Trump鈥檚 second order to attack Syria. He authorized a barrage of Tomahawk cruise missiles to hit a single Syrian airfield in April 2017 in retaliation for Assad鈥檚 use of sarin gas against civilians.

Trump chastised Syria鈥檚 two main allies, Russia and Iran, for their roles in supporting 鈥渕urderous dictators,鈥� and noted that Russian President Vladimir Putin had guaranteed a 2013 international agreement for Assad to get rid of all of his chemical weapons. He called on Moscow to change course and join the West in seeking a more responsible regime in Damascus.

In his nationwide address, Trump stressed that he has no interest in a longtime fight with Syria.

鈥淎s other nations step up their contributions, we look forward to the day when we can bring our warriors home,鈥� Trump said. 鈥淎nd great warriors they are.鈥�

Robert 亚洲天堂, Jill Colvin And Zeke Miller, The Associated Press

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