LIVE: Trump says 'mission accomplished' after US, UK, France strike Syria
The US, UK and France, have hit Syria overnight with air strikes, targeting three of Syria's main chemical weapons facilities with over 100 missiles.
The attacks, which had been largely expected, came in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma, outside of Damascus, last weekend.
It's the biggest intervention yet by Western powers against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Reactions are coming in from Damascus' allies and enemies alike - follow today's developments with us here.
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Photo: Syrian soldiers inspect the wreckage of a building described as part of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre (SSRC) compound in the Barzeh district, north of Damascus (AFP)
Live Updates
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has said that its team sent to investigate the Douma chemical attack will continue its deployment despite last night's missile strikes.
The fact-finding team is scheduled to begin its investigation today.
"The Fact-Finding Mission team of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons will continue its deployment to the Syrian Arab Republic to establish facts around the allegations of chemical weapons use in Douma," a statement from the organisation has said.
Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad gathered in Damascus this morning to protest against the cruise missile strikes.
Protesters gathered in Umayyad Square waving Syrian and Russian flags.
A BBC producer in Damascus reported that protesters in the dozen had gathered in the square and that life was continuing largely as normal in the capital.
Amnesty International has warned that air strikes by Britain, France and the United States on Syria should "minimise harm to civilians" and urged US President Donald Trump to take in Syrian refugees.
"All precautions must be taken to minimise harm to civilians in any military action," Raed Jarrar, advocacy director for Middle East North Africa at Amnesty International USA said in a statement.
"The people of Syria have already endured six years of devastating attacks, including chemical attacks, many of which amount to war crimes," he said.
"People already living in fear of losing their lives in unlawful attacks must not be further punished for the alleged violations of the Syrian government," he added.
Jarrar also pointed to the refugee crisis caused by the conflict in Syria.
"The Trump administration must not turn its back on the suffering of men, women, and children by continuing to ban refugees from entering the United States. It is time for the US to reopen our doors to people trying to escape from the violence in Syria," he said.
France, the UK and the US will brief the NATO Council this afternoon on the strikes.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has hit out at the strikes, saying that the United States is "exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe" in Syria and has called for an emergency UN security council meeting.
"Russia strongly condemns the attack on Syria where Russian servicemen are helping the legitimate government in the war on terrorism," Putin said.
"By its actions, the United States is increasingly exacerbating the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria and bringing sufferings to civilians," he said.
Putin also repeated Russia's claim that the chemical attack in Douma was staged as a pretext for intervention.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel has backed the actions of the US, Britain and France, saying that the strikes were "necessary and appropriate" to warn against the further use of chemical weapons.
"We support the fact that our American, British and French allies have taken responsibility in this way as permanent members of the U.N. Security Council," she said. But she added that Germany had not and would not participate in military action.
In an apparent attempt to convey an image of calm, the Syrian presidency on Saturday morning released a silent eight-second video of Bashar al-Assad strolling into work, entitled 'Morning of Resilience.'
In the video, Assad carries a briefcase, wearing a suit and tie, as he walks into the marble-floored entrance of a building, presumably the presidential palace.
According to the Hezbollah-affiliated Al Manar website, "the Syrian presidency wanted to send a clear message that Syrian leadership is determined to go ahead with confronting all means of aggression against the Arab country," following the air strikes overnight.