U.S. Strikes Target Syrian Chemical Weapons Production and Storage

Defense Secretary James Mattis and General Joseph Dunford said on Friday evening that the U.S. airstrikes struck three Syrian targets related to chemical weapons storage and production, and said the regime of Bashar al-Assad was retaliating against the strikes. General Dunford said that a “scientific research center,” two chemical weapons storage facilities, and a command force center within strike radius of one of the storage facilities were targeted in the Friday night airstrikes in and around Damascus and Homs. Mattis said that there was no intention to “expand that target set.” They also confirmed that “surface-to-air missiles” were shot by the Syrian regime in response to the U.K.-U.S.-French airstrikes. Mattis called the airstrikes a “one time shot” that he believed would send a strong message. “I am confident the Syrian regime conducted an attack,” Mattis said, saying that he knows “at least one chemical agent” was used in the April 7 attack on Douma. Dunford said they did not coordinate targets with Russians, but did “deconflict airspace” through official channels.