A rebel official in the Qalamoun mountains, an area in the province of Damascus, said their fighters reported attacks near the town of al-Ruhaybah, as well as the Dumayr air base. Rebels in the area reported hearing and seeing the explosions in the areas.
The official said the first target is believed to be a storage facility for ballistic missile fuel, and may have been used for storing chemicals. Dumayr air base is believed to be the installation from which the helicopters that carried out the Douma chemical attack took off.
They also reported that the Syrian government launched missiles from its air defense system but apparently to no effect.
President Trump on Friday night announced he has directed the U.S. military, in coordination with France and the United Kingdom, to conduct precision strikes in Syria, in response to the chemical weapons attack that left dozens dead on Sunday.
"A short time ago, I ordered the U.S. Armed Forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad," the president said from the White House.
"A combined operation with the armed forces of France and the United Kingdom is now under way," he continued.
Mr. Trump claimed the U.S. is "prepared to sustain" a response to curtail Syria until the Syrian regime stops using chemical weapons on its citizens, meaning this might not be the last use of military capabilities in Syria.
"We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents," Mr. Trump said.
Secretary of Defense James Mattis emphasized that the strikes were "specifically designed" to target key infrastructure critical to the Syrian regime's chemical weapons program. As of 10 p.m. EST, Mattis said there were no reports of losses among U.S. military personnel. The Pentagon said this wave of air strikes is "over," but did not rule out the possibility of further strikes later. The Pentagon said the strikes took place at 9 p.m. EST.
Mr. Trump also called out Iran and Russia, saying Syria would not have been able to carry out such an action if Russia had been a responsible nation. Russia has pledged to retaliate if the U.S. strikes Syria. In 2014, then-Secretary of State John Kerry said all chemical weapons had been cleared from Syria, with the aid of Russia.
REUTERS TV / REUTERS
"I also have a message tonight for the two governments most responsible for supporting, equipping and financing the criminal Assad regime," Mr. Trump said. "To Iran and to Russia I ask: what kind of nations wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women and children? The nations of the world, can be judged by the friends they keep. No nation can succeed in the long run by promoting rogue states, brutal tyrants and murderous dictators."
"President Putin and his government promised the world that they would guarantee the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons," Mr. Trump continued. "Assad's recent attack and today's response are the direct result of Russia's failure to keep that promise. Russia must decide if it will continue down this dark path or if it will join with civilized nations as a force of stability and peace."
The president's announcement comes shortly after he said he hopes and intends to pull out of Syria " very soon," before this latest chemical attack.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Joseph Dunford said in a news conference Friday that the three target areas included a scientific research center located in Damascus, a chemical weapons storage facility west of Homs and a nearby storage facility with chemical weapons equipment and an "important" command post.
Dunford said the research center was used for development, production and testing of chemical and biological warfare technology. He explained the facility in Homs was the primary location of Syrian sarin and precursor production equipment. Mattis said it is time for all nations to "unite" to bring an end to the use of such weapons, calling on responsible nations to "condemn the Assad regime.
Ending the briefing with reporters, Mattis said he expects a "significant disinformation campaign" from those aligned with Syria, a not-so-thinly-veiled comment at Russia, which hours earlier claimed Britain had staged the chemical attack.
The president's announcement comes barely one year after he announced strikes in Syria following a separate chemical weapons attack.
"Clearly, the Assad regime did not get the message last year," Mattis said, insisting this latest attack struck that infrastructure "harder." Mattis claimed the U.S. used more than "double" the amount of weapon power it did in last April's attack on a Syrian air base.
The State Department announced its definitive conclusion Friday afternoon that the Syrian regime was responsible for the attack. Mattis said the U.S. verified the chemical attack Thursday.
The White House had kept a tight lid on the military action ahead of Friday night, and hours before the strikes were directed, said no final plans had been made. Shortly before Mr. Trump's announcement, Vice President Mike Pence, who is in South America, was hurriedly rushed back to his motorcade and hotel with no explanation, fueling speculation that something could be happening with Syria.
Pence called House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to inform her of the strikes, CBS News' Rebecca Kaplan reports. Pence informed other key congressional leaders ahead of the strikes as well.
There are roughly 2,000 U.S. troops on the ground in Syria as of the last numbers the Pentagon released. But Mr. Trump insisted Friday night the U.S. does not intend to have a permanent presence in Syria.
"Increased engagement from our friends including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, and other can assure that Iran does not profit from the eradication of ISIS," the president said. "America does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria. Under no circumstances."
Mr. Trump described a very specific type of target that the U.S. would go after, which are Syria's chemical weapon capabilities. That could be everything from aircraft that dropped chemical weapons to the headquarters that control the forces that drop the chemical weapons, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a statement issued immediately after the strikes, said the "red line" France established in May 2017 "has been crossed."
Shortly after Mr. Trump's announcement, Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May announced she authorized her country's forces to conduct "precision strikes" with America and France against Syria in the wake of the chemical attack that left dozens injured this week.
"This persistent pattern of behavior must be stopped -- not just to protect innocent people in Syria from the horrific deaths and casualties caused by chemical weapons but also because we cannot allow the erosion of the international norm that prevents the use of these weapons," May said in a statement.
She added, "This is not about intervening in a civil war. It is not about regime change. It is about a limited and targeted strike that does not further escalate tensions in the region and that does everything possible to prevent civilian casualties."
CBS News' Justin Carissimo and Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.
CNN has obtained video that reportedly shows an airstrike in Syria. Earlier President Donald Trump announced he ordered strikes on the Syrian regime in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack.
THE PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans, a short time ago, I ordered the United States Armed Forces to launch precision strikes on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad. A combined operation with the armed forces of France and the United Kingdom is now underway. We thank them both.
Tonight, I want to speak with you about why we have taken this action.
One year ago, Assad launched a savage chemical weapons attack against his own innocent people. The United States responded with 58 missile strikes that destroyed 20 percent of the Syrian Air Force.
Last Saturday, the Assad regime again deployed chemical weapons to slaughter innocent civilians -- this time, in the town of Douma, near the Syrian capital of Damascus. This massacre was a significant escalation in a pattern of chemical weapons use by that very terrible regime.
The evil and the despicable attack left mothers and fathers, infants and children, thrashing in pain and gasping for air. These are not the actions of a man; they are crimes of a monster instead.
Following the horrors of World War I a century ago, civilized nations joined together to ban chemical warfare. Chemical weapons are uniquely dangerous not only because they inflict gruesome suffering, but because even small amounts can unleash widespread devastation.
The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread, and use of chemical weapons. Establishing this deterrent is a vital national security interest of the United States. The combined American, British, and French response to these atrocities will integrate all instruments of our national power -- military, economic, and diplomatic. We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents.
I also have a message tonight for the two governments most responsible for supporting, equipping, and financing the criminal Assad regime.
To Iran, and to Russia, I ask: What kind of a nation wants to be associated with the mass murder of innocent men, women, and children?
The nations of the world can be judged by the friends they keep. No nation can succeed in the long run by promoting rogue states, brutal tyrants, and murderous dictators.
In 2013, President Putin and his government promised the world that they would guarantee the elimination of Syria's chemical weapons. Assad's recent attack -- and today's response -- are the direct result of Russia's failure to keep that promise.
Russia must decide if it will continue down this dark path, or if it will join with civilized nations as a force for stability and peace. Hopefully, someday we'll get along with Russia, and maybe even Iran -- but maybe not.
I will say this: The United States has a lot to offer, with the greatest and most powerful economy in the history of the world.
In Syria, the United States -- with but a small force being used to eliminate what is left of ISIS -- is doing what is necessary to protect the American people. Over the last year, nearly 100 percent of the territory once controlled by the so-called ISIS caliphate in Syria and Iraq has been liberated and eliminated.
The United States has also rebuilt our friendships across the Middle East. We have asked our partners to take greater responsibility for securing their home region, including contributing large amounts of money for the resources, equipment, and all of the anti-ISIS effort. Increased engagement from our friends, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, and others can ensure that Iran does not profit from the eradication of ISIS.
America does not seek an indefinite presence in Syria under no circumstances. As other nations step up their contributions, we look forward to the day when we can bring our warriors home. And great warriors they are.
Looking around our very troubled world, Americans have no illusions. We cannot purge the world of evil, or act everywhere there is tyranny.
No amount of American blood or treasure can produce lasting peace and security in the Middle East. It's a troubled place. We will try to make it better, but it is a troubled place. The United States will be a partner and a friend, but the fate of the region lies in the hands of its own people.
In the last century, we looked straight into the darkest places of the human soul. We saw the anguish that can be unleashed and the evil that can take hold. By the end of the World War I, more than one million people had been killed or injured by chemical weapons. We never want to see that ghastly specter return.
So today, the nations of Britain, France, and the United States of America have marshaled their righteous power against barbarism and brutality.
Tonight, I ask all Americans to say a prayer for our noble warriors and our allies as they carry out their missions.
We pray that God will bring comfort to those suffering in Syria. We pray that God will guide the whole region toward a future of dignity and of peace.
And we pray that God will continue to watch over and bless the United States of America.
Thank you, and goodnight. Thank you.
