French, German Leaders Blame Only Assad for Deterioration in Syria

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande place the blame for the latest developments in Syria solely on its president, a joint statement following Merkel and Hollande's phone talks stated Friday.

BERLIN (Sputnik) — The United States launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Syrian military airfield in Ash Sha'irat near Homs late Thursday. US President Donald Trump said the attack was a response to the alleged chemical weapon use in Idlib on Tuesday, which Washington blames on Damascus.

"President [Bashar] Assad is solely responsible for this development. His repeated use of chemical weapons and crimes against his own population requires the introduction of sanctions, as France and Germany demanded in 2013 after the tragedy in Ghouta," the statement obtained by Sputnik reads.

The Syrian Army General Staff also condemned the strike, calling it an act of aggression and saying that it renders US as a terror ally.

As an employee of the airfield told Sputnik earlier the Ash Sha'irat military airfield near Homs in Syria has been destroyed and its aircraft damaged in US missile strikes.

Earlier in the day, Homs Governor Talal Barazi told Sputnik that at least two civilians were killed and seven were injured as a result of the strikes.