BBC has reported that a military airport in Syria has come under missile attack, the country's state media has reported. Syrian TV said loud explosions had been heard near the T4 airfield (also known as Althias, Tiyas or Tayfour) in the city of Homs in the early hours of Monday. "Several missiles hit the Tayfur airport," the state news agency SANA said. Its air defence system was activated, the reports said.

BBC says that details are still emerging and these reports have not been independently verified.

If the Syrian airfields have indeed been hit by missiles, the only question is by whom? The possible answer lies in the fact that Bashar Al-Assad’s government was accused by civil activists of bombing the besieged town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta yesterday with chemical barrel bombs, possibly chlorine gas. The report of the attack and the ensuing visuals have been strongly condemned by the United States and the Government of France.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned of a "big price" to “animal Assad” after reports of the chemical weapons which has claimed atleast 70 lives.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria," Trump tweeted. "Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price..."

 

"....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

The attack on Douma has come almost a year to the day since the U.S. struck a Syrian air field after a previous chemical attack in Khan Sheikhound. President Trump called out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name on Sunday for backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his tweets, marking the first time he has done so since taking office.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence said in a tweet later Sunday morning that he and Trump were "monitoring the likely chemical attack" and echoed Trump's language about potential consequences.

".@POTUS & I closely monitoring likely chemical attack in Syria. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the assault on innocent lives, including children. The Assad regime & its backers MUST END their barbaric behavior. As POTUS said, big price to pay for those responsible!" Pence tweeted.

Another country that has warned the Assad government of refraining from chemical attacks is France. French President Emmanuel Macron had in February this year warned that "France will strike" if chemical weapons are used against civilians in the Syrian conflict in violation of international treaties, but that he had not yet seen proof this was the case.

After yesterday’s attack, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in a statement said, “France will do its duty.” “France is working with its allies and international organisations to verify the reality and the nature of these strikes," Le Drian added, calling the bombings "a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law".

U.S. is more prepared to launch a strike at Assad given that it has 2000 special forces on the ground who have been working with Kurdish militia to defeat the ISIS. The Trump Administration had in 2017 launched a similar attack on Al Shayrat airfield in Syria after the bombing of Khan Sheikhound which had killed atleast 80 Syrians. The U.S. had fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Syrian fighter jets, hardened aircraft shelters, radar equipment, ammunition bunkers, sites for storing fuel and air defense systems. The missiles had been fired from the destroyers Porter and Ross positioned in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

The fact that the Assad regime which is backed by Russian troops has chosen to use chemical bombs despite the U.S. government’s warning means that it is willing to gamble and take a risk on the Americans’ unwillingness to get embroiled in the Syrian war which has turned into a regional quagmire.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 09, 2018 08:16 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).