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Conflict in Syria

Russia's senate speaker says US has no grounds for carrying out strike on Syria

Russia will insist on conducting an impartial investigation into the incident

Valentina Matviyenko Sergey Konkov/TASS

Valentina Matviyenko

© Sergey Konkov/TASS

MOSCOW, April 11. /TASS/. The United States had no grounds whatsoever for carrying out a strike against a Syrian airbase, these actions can be considered a signal of support for terrorists, speaker of Russia’s Federation Council (upper house of parliament), Valentina Matviyenko, told reporters on Tuesday.

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"This is an act of aggression against a sovereign nation and a gross violation of international law. There were no grounds for launching this strike. This strike can be treated as a signal of support for terrorists," the senator noted.

Matviyenko added that Russia will insist on conducting an impartial investigation into the incident.

She emphasized that the US had recorded that chemical weapons in Syria had been safely disposed of, so there were no grounds for the attack.

The US military fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a military airfield in Syria’s Homs province last week on orders issued by US President Donald Trump. Washington said the strike came in response to what it claims was Damascus’ use of chemical weapons in the Idlib province. However, according the Russian Defense Ministry, on April 4, the Syrian air force delivered an airstrike on the eastern outskirts of Khan Sheikhoun to destroy militant facilities used to produce chemical bombs. These bombs were sent to Iraq and were also used in Aleppo.

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