The US launched a military strike on Syria in retaliation for the chemical weapon attack earlier this week https://t.co/MvC4T58BBI pic.twitter.com/jwlUvq9Fno
— CNN (@CNN) April 7, 2017
Several outlets are reporting that the United States fired about 50 cruise missiles into Syria on Thursday night. U.S. officials said that the strike was in response to the Syrian government's chemical attack earlier this week which killed more than 80 civilians.
The strike occurred at around 8:45 p.m. Eastern Time. The target of the attack was the Shayrat airfield, where planes, fuel, and the runway was hit.
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Earlier on Thursday, President Trump told reporters on Air Force One, "I think what happened in Syria is one of the truly egregious crimes and shouldn't have happened and it shouldn't be allowed to happen."
The missile strikes mark the first time that this administration has ordered the military to use force against another nation, and the President's first action against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
President Trump authorized the strike without congressional approval from Congress.
Thumbnail image via U.S. Navy/Getty Images.