Homs governor slams US missile strikes as ‘serving terrorists’ goals’

MOSCOW, April 7. /TASS/. The US missile strikes on a military airfield in Syria’s Homs province serve the goals of "armed terrorist groups," the governor of the province told the Al Ikhbaria TV channel.

"Syrian leadership and Syrian policy won’t change," Talal Barazi said. "This is not the first attack and I don't believe it will be the last," he added.

"There are killed and wounded in the US strike against al-Shayrat military airfield in central Syria," he said.

The governor earlier said that the military base attacked by the United States played an important role in the fight against terrorists, particularly, in the operation to liberate Palmyra.

"The air base attacked by the US played a huge role in our fight against terrorists and in the liberation of Palmyra," he said.

According to the Homs governor, the air base has suffered significant damage. Al-Barazi pointed out that a rescue operation was underway. According to preliminary official data, the attack killed at least ten people, including civilians, while seven people were wounded. Reports say that as many as 14 Syrian Sukhoi and MiG warplanes were damaged at the airfield.

However, the Homs governor said that the Syrian air force will soon resume combat flights from this air base to attack the positions of terrorists.

On April 6, at the direction of US President Donald Trump, the US forces fired 59 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAM) on a Syrian military air base located in the Homs Governorate. The attack came as a response to the alleged use of chemical weapons in the Idlib Governorate on April 4. The US authorities believe that the airstrike on Idlib was launched from that air base.