Syrian relief group says base targeted by airstrike has resumed operations

Syria.
(Image credit: MOHAMAD ABAZEED/AFP/Getty Images)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Friday that Syria's al-Shayrat air base has resumed operations just hours after it was targeted by a U.S. airstrike.

President Trump ordered 59 Tomahawk missiles be launched at the airfield Thursday night in retaliation for the chemical attack that killed dozens in Idlib province Tuesday. While the Pentagon said earlier Friday that the strike had "severely damaged or destroyed Syrian aircraft and support infrastructure," it was reported Syria may have anticipated the attack and moved key equipment.

Russia's spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Igor Konashenkov, claimed that the strike was “highly ineffective" and that only 23 of the 59 missiles reached their targets. "The combat effectiveness of the U.S. massive missile strike on Syria's airbase was thus very low," Konashenkov said.

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Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.