Theresa May: strikes aimed at deterring use of chemical weapons

The overnight strikes on Syria were not about regime change or intervening in Syria's civil war, British Prime Minister Theresa May has said, stressing that they were about "deterring the barbaric use of chemical weapons". 

May said that intelligence and open source reports indicate that it was "highly likely" that the Syrian government was responsible for the gas attack on Douma last week.

She also hit out at Russian claims that the UK government had helped staged the gas attack. She called the claims "grotesque and absurd" and cited the attempted murder of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in Salisbury in March, which the UK and its allies claim Russia was behind, as part of Russia's "pattern of disregard for international laws".

Russia, which has been a staunch ally of the Syrian government, denies being behind the attempted killing of the Skripals.

"The use of nerve agent on the streets of UK in recent weeks was part of a pattern of disregard for these norms," she said.

"This will also send a clear signal to anyone else who believes they can use chemical weapons with impunity."