UK defense secretary calls Syria strikes a 'highly successful mission'

AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

UK's defence secretary Gavin Williamson.

• UK defense secretary Gavin Williamson said the strikes launched by the US, UK, and France on Syria have been a 'highly successful mission.'
• The missile strikes were launched on Friday night.
• They appear to have struck the capital city of Damascus.

The UK's defence secretary has said the strikes the US, UK, and France launched on Syria on Friday night have been a "highly successful mission."

Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Gavin Williamson said four RAF tornados took part in strikes on targets in Syria, according to The Guardian.

A statement from Russia's defense ministry said that "more than 100 cruise missiles and air-to-land missiles were fired by the US, Britain, and France from the sea and air at Syrian military and civilian targets."

The missiles appear to have struck the capital city, Damascus.

AP Photo/Hassan Ammar

The Damascus sky lights up missile fire as the U.S. launches an attack on Syria targeting different parts of the capital early Saturday, April 14, 2018.

The US confirmed at a press conference that one of the intended targets was a scientific research center in Damascus.

The statement from Russia's ministry went on to say that "a significant number" of missiles were shot down by Syrian air defences, and that no Russian air defences based in Syria were hit in the strikes.

However, Williamson said that initial assessments suggest it was a "highly successful mission."

The strike was in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack that reportedly killed dozens of people there earlier this month.