U.S. officials conclude Russia knew of Syria chemical attack in advance

Vladimir Putin.
(Image credit: PAVEL GOLOVKIN/AFP/Getty Images)

Russia had advanced knowledge of last week's chemical attack in Syria, senior U.S. officials have concluded. The attack in the Idlib province killed dozens of civilians, including children, and prompted President Trump to order a retaliatory missile strike on a Syrian airfield last Thursday.

Officials were initially unsure whether Russia or Syria operated the drone that flew over a hospital where victims of the chemical attack were being treated, but it's now believed it was controlled by Russia. An official told The Associated Press that "the presence of the drone couldn't have been a coincidence, and that Russia must have known the chemical weapons attack was coming and that victims were seeking treatment."

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