The US on Friday launched a massive military strike on a Syrian air base in retaliation to a “barbaric” chemical attack on civilians allegedly by embattled President Bashar al-Assad’s regime

The trigger
The military action comes after Tuesday’s deadly chemical attack that officials said used chlorine mixed with a nerve agent, killing 86 people, including 27 children, in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun in north-western Syria.

Tomahawks roped in
On President Donald Trump’s orders, US warships in the Mediterranean Sea launched between 50-60 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Shayrat air base, in Homs governorate, where the warplanes that carried out the chemical attacks are based.

Trump earlier opposed attack
The move signals a dramatic shift in Trump’s position on whether the US should take military action against Assad’s regime. Trump, during his campaign for president, had opposed any such move.

Why did US strike
According to Trump the strike is in vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter use of deadly chemical weapons.

Direct action
This is the first direct military action the US has taken against the regime of Assad in Syria’s six-year civil war and represents a substantial escalation of the US military campaign in the region.

Russia fumes over U.S. strike
Russia, who has provided military support for Bashar al-Assad’s government since September 2015, slammed the US air strike on a Syrian airbase as “aggression against a sovereign state”, and suspended a bilateral agreement with US to help avoid clashes in the skies over the war-torn country.

Which countries backed US
The UK, Israel and Australia were among the countries backing Trump’s move.

What next?
The US will soon impose more sanctions on Syria in response to a chemical attack blamed on President Bashar al-Assad’s regime, the Trump administration officials said.

Why were Tomahawks used?
The Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from two US navy ships in the Mediterranean Sea against a key Syrian military airfield was a “good choice” as the Pentagon planners could attack the target with precision from a safe distance.
880kmph

880Kmph is the speed of the missile which costs $1.5 million