British Prime Minister Theresa May said on Saturday she had authorized British forces to conduct precision air-launched cruise missile strikes on Syria to degrade its chemical weapons capability, saying there was no alternative to military action.
Four Royal Air Force Tornado jets using Storm Shadow missiles had taken part in the attack on a military facility near Homs where it was assessed Syria had stockpiled chemicals, Britain's Ministry of Defense (MoD) said.
Britain joined the United States and France in what May cast as a "limited and targeted" strike after intelligence indicated Bashar al-Assad's regime was responsible for an attack using chemical weapons in the rebel-held Damascus suburb of Douma last Saturday.
Britain's defense ministry said initial indications were that the precision weapons and meticulous target planning had "resulted in a successful attack".
Syrian regime media said that three civilians were wounded in the attack in Homs.
It claimed the attack was aborted by derailing the incoming missiles but added nonetheless that three people were wounded.
May said Britain and the West had an obligation to deter both Assad and others from using chemical weapons after the poison gas attack in Douma killed up to 75 people including children.
Britain's defense ministry said "very careful scientific analysis" had been applied to maximize the destruction of stockpiled chemicals while minimizing any risk of contamination to surrounding areas.
"The facility which was struck is located some distance from any known concentrations of civilian habitation, reducing yet further any such risk," the MoD said in a statement.
