This picture taken on April 14, 2018 shows the wreckage of a building described as part of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre compound in the Barzeh district, north of Damascus, during a press tour organised by the Syrian information ministry. The
CAIRO – 14 April 2018: A few hours after the U.S.-led strike in Syria, the Syrian Presidency posted a video showing President Bashar al-Assad entering his office early on Saturday, and the state-owned news agency SANA published news to claim that life is normal in the capital, Damascus.
“The Syrian Army received an early warning by the Russian side about the military operation and all sites were evacuated before the attack,” a Syrian official source told SANA. On the other hand, France asserted that Russia did not have prior notice regarding the trio’s strike, but was actually informed about the strikes after launching them against limited targets in Syria.
Normal life in Damascus
The Syrian pro-regime media outlets denied reports that tanks have been deployed in the streets of Damascus, describing these reports as “groundless and bare of truth.”
“Missiles launched by the U.S., Britain and France did not achieve their planned targets thanks to the Syrian air defenses which warded off the attack,” added SANA.
“Three civilians were injured due to the trio’s attack in Homs, but no causality was reported in Damascus,” noted SANA.
Pro-Assad media revealed that the U.S.-led strikes targeted a research center and destroyed a building of scientific laboratories and a training center.
Syria intercepted 71 missiles out of 103
The Russian Defense Ministry stated that the U.S.-led strikes launched against Syria were a “Western response to the success of the Syrian forces who liberated their territories from terrorism.”
“The Syrian air defenses intercepted 71 missiles out of 103 rockets launched against Syrian targets early Saturday, April 14,” according to a statement issued by Russia’s Defense Ministry.
Trio strikes remained for 50 minutes
American officials revealed in press remarks that the U.S., French and British forces struck three the three following sites in Syria:
- A scientific research center near Damascus
- A suspected chemical weapons storage facility near Homs
- A storage facility and command post also near Homs
Since a suspected chemical attack was reported on April 7 against a rebel-held enclave east of Damascus, U.S. and Western allies threatened to launch a military action against the Syrian regime, but not its allies; Moscow and Tehran.
On the other hand, Russian, Iranian and Pro-Assad media reported that the U.S. strikes targeted nine sites, not three, in Damascus, the nearby countryside and Homs, noting that that the strikes lasted for 50 minutes.
The Syrian army stressed that the trio’s strikes would not affect the Syrian army’s determination to crush terrorist and armed sites on the Syrian territory.
“The trio strikes started at 3:55 a.m. (Syria local time), launching roughly 110 missiles against Syrian sites in Damascus and nearby areas,” the Syrian Armed Forces noted in a statement.
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