Russia slams joint airstrikes in Syria

By Ali Cura

MOSCOW

Moscow on Saturday strongly criticized the joint the U.S., U.K. and France airstrikes targeting the Assad regime's alleged chemical weapons in Syria.

In remarks made on her official social media account, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zaharova said: “Those behind it lay claim to moral leadership in this world and declare their exclusiveness and uniqueness.”

“In fact, it takes a very peculiar kind of uniqueness to attack Syria’s capital at a time when the country has received a change for peace at last,” Zaharova said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry in a statement said Russian military bases in Syria had not been affected by the joint strike.

“None of the cruise missiles launched by the United States and its allies entered the zones of Russian air defenses around Tartus and Hmeymin,” the ministry said in a statement.

Late Friday night, the U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S., U.K. and France jointly launched strikes targeting the Assad regime's chemical weapons capabilities after a suspected chemical attack killed dozens outside of Damascus.

The White Helmets, a civil defense agency, blamed the Assad regime for the alleged chemical attack, which it said killed 78 civilians and injured hundreds of others.