Russia: US strikes 'aggression' against sovereign Syria

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) - The U.S. airstrikes at a Syrian military airbase were "aggression" towards a "sovereign" country, the Kremlin said Friday.

"President [Vladimir] Putin regards the American attacks on Syria as aggression against a sovereign state in violation of the norms of international law, and under a far-fetched pretext," spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters in comments reported by Russian news agency TASS.

Peskov said the move by Washington has caused "substantial" damage to Russian-American relations.

He added that this step created "serious" problems for international cooperation in the fight against terrorism.

The U.S. fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian military airbase American officials believe was used to carry out a deadly chemical attack Tuesday, the Pentagon confirmed.

The missiles were fired from two U.S. destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean and hit the airbase at approximately 3:45 a.m. Syrian local time Friday (0045GMT). Aircraft, hardened aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems, and radars were targeted, the Pentagon said.