Syria's Assad tells Russian lawmakers Western strikes were act of aggression

MOSCOW - 15 April 2018: Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told a group of Russian lawmakers on Sunday that Western missile strikes on his country were an act of aggression, Russian news agencies reported.

Russian lawmakers met with Assad after the United States, France and Britain launched missile strikes on Syria in retaliation for a suspected poison gas attack a week ago.

Russian news agencies quoted the lawmakers as saying Assad was in a "good mood" and had praised the Soviet-era air defence systems used by Syria to help to repel the Western attacks.

The supply of Russian air defence systems was not discussed, agencies reported, but Assad accepted an invitation to visit the Siberian region of Khanty-Mansi in Russia. It was not clear when the visit would take place.