Syria condemns ‘brutal, barbaric aggression’ by Western powers

Damascus (Syria) (AFP) – Syria’s foreign ministry on Saturday denounced Western strikes as a “brutal, barbaric aggression” hours after the US, France, and Britain launched a joint operation against military installations. 

A statement carried by state news agency SANA said the strikes aimed to block a probe by the OPCW global chemical watchdog into an alleged gas attack outside Damascus. 

The attack “aims at hindering the mission’s work and preempting its results”, said the statement quoting a source at the Syrian foreign ministry.