Protesters in Syria condemn US-led strikes

Hundreds of demonstrators stage a rally in Damascus and Aleppo, decrying joint airstrikes conducted by the US and its allies.

In the early hours of Saturday, the three Western states launched a barrage of missile attacks against Syria in response to what they claim to be a chemical attack in the town by Damascus on April 7. Syria has no chemical arsenal and has rejected any role in the suspected gas attack.

Meanwhile, President Bashar al-Assad in a phone conversation on Saturday with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the missile strikes by the US, the UK, and France will only strengthen Syria’s resolve to keep its fight against terror groups and “crush terrorism in every inch of the nation.”

Syria's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned Saturday's strikes as a "brutal, barbaric aggression," saying they would only ignite "tensions in the world and pose threat to the international peace and security as a whole."

SS