Russia warned before US attack in Syria

The US military gave Russian forces advanced notice of its strikes on a Syrian air base and did not hit sections of the base where the Russians were believed to be present, Pentagon spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said on Thursday.

Davis, briefing reporters on the operation, said the US military had "multiple" conversations with Russian forces on Thursday before the strike, using a line of communication that had previously been established to prevent an accidental clash in Syria during the fight against Islamic State.

Some 50 Tomahawk missiles were launched from US Navy warships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, striking multiple targets - including the airstrip, aircraft and fuel stations - on the Shayrat Air Base in the early hours of Friday (local Syria time).

The action was ordered by US President Donald Trump after he blamed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad for this week's gruesome chemical attack which killed at least 70 people in the town of Khan Sheikhoun.