Ng Agence France-Presse
Naglunsad ng sunud-sunod na strike ang United States, Britain at France laban sa rehimen ni Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad nitong Sabado, bilang tugon sa umano’y chemical weapons attacks na tinawag ni US President Donald Trump na “crimes of a monster.”
Sa pagsisimula ni Trump sa White House address upang ihayag ang gagawing pag-atake, narinig ang mga pagsabog sa kabisera ng Syria, ang Damascus, tanda ng panibagong yugto ng brutal na pitong-taong bakbakan.
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Ayon sa correspondent ng AFP sa lugar, magkakasunod na pagsabog ang narinig, dakong 4:00 ng madaling araw (0100 GMT). Nasilayan din ang usok na mula sa hilaga at silangang bahagi ng kabisera.
“A short time ago, I ordered the United States armed forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad,” sabi ni Trump, sa primetime address mula sa White House.
“A combined operation with the armed forces of France and the United Kingdom is now under way. We thank them both.
“This massacre was a significant escalation in a pattern of chemical weapons use by that very terrible regime,” sinabi niya sa kahindik-hindik na gas attack nitong nakaraang linggo sa rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma.
“The evil and the despicable attack left mother and fathers, infants and children thrashing in pain and gasping for air. These are not the actions of a man. They are crimes of a monster instead.”
Samantala, aabot sa 100 missile ang pinakawalan ng Amerika, Britain at France.
“More than 100 cruise missiles and air-to-land missiles were fired by the US, Britain and France from the sea and air at Syrian military and civilian targets,” ayon sa Russian defense ministry.
HEAVY STRIKE
Ayon kay Joseph Dunford, nangungunang heneral sa Washington, tinamaan sa strike ang tatlong target malapit sa Damascus— isang scientific research center, isang storage facility at command post – at isang chemical weapons storage facility malapit sa Homs.
Ayon sa Syrian state media, pinagana ang air defenses upang mapigil ang pag-atake sa pagpapakita ng mga imahe ng sobrang kapal na usok sa kabisera.
“The aggression is a flagrant violation of international law, a breach of the international community’s will, and it is doomed to fail,” ayon sa official SANA news agency.
Mas matindi ang nasabing strike kumpara sa US strike noong nakaraang taon, na tanging cruise missiles ang ginamit.
Ayon kay Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, walang pinaplanong karagdagang strike.
“We were very precise and proportionate, but at the same time, it was a heavy strike,” aniya.
