US Syria strike a 'one-off'

This afternoon's missile strike against Syria is a one-off and there are no current plans for escalation, an American defence official has told Reuters.

It is the first direct US military action against Syria and its leader, Bashar al-Assad.

The attack against an air base in the west of the country comes in response to more than 80 civilian deaths from chemical weapons in a rebel-held town.

The Pentagon said it fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at 4.40am (about 1.40pm NZT) from destroyers in the eastern Mediterranean.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the missile strikes killed at least four soldiers at the airbase.

In a televised address, President Donald Trump said the base was the launch point for the chemical attack.

He called on "all civilised nations" to help end the conflict in Syria.

More than 80 civilians, including many children, died in the suspected nerve gas attack on Tuesday (late Wednesday NZT) in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province.

The retaliatory cruise missile strike was a "one-off," the unnamed American defence official told Reuters, meaning it was expected to be a single strike with no current plans for escalation.

The Pentagon said the Russian military, which is supporting the Syrian government, had been informed ahead of the US attack.

In a statement it said missiles fired from Navy destroyers USS Porter and USS Ross had targeted aircraft, aircraft shelters, storage areas, ammunition supply bunkers, air defence systems and radars at the Shayrat airfield in western Homs province.

The Pentagon added that the strike was intended "to deter the regime from using chemical weapons again".

It did not give details of damage or casualties but the governor of Homs province said there had been deaths and parts of the base were on fire.

"It will take some time to determine the extent of the damage," Talal Barazi told AFP.

A statement on Syrian state TV said "American aggression" had targeted a Syrian military base with "a number of missiles" but gave no further details.

The US has led a coalition carrying out air strikes against jihadist groups in Syria since 2014 but this is the first time it has targeted government forces.

The latest action was welcomed by Syrian opposition group the Syrian National Coalition.

"We hope for more strikes... that these are just the beginning," spokesman Ahmad Ramadan told AFP.

Mr Trump had earlier warned that "something should happen" against the Syrian leadership following the deaths in Khan Sheikhoun, but gave no details.

Also on Thursday, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson signalled a sudden shift in policy by the Trump administration, saying that Bashar al-Assad should have no role in a future Syria.

Only last week the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said Washington was no longer prioritising the removal of the Syrian president.

The UN Security Council will hold further talks on Friday as it tries to agree a resolution calling for an investigation into the deaths in Khan Sheikhoun.

Russia has already rejected a Western-backed draft. Moscow has used its veto seven times to block UN resolutions critical of its ally Syria.