THE UK, the US and France launched airstrikes on Syria early this morning, targeting sites in Damascus, in response to last week’s suspected chemical attack in Douma.

Donald Trump said the aim of the attack was to degrade the chemical weapons capabilities of the Bashar al-Assad regime.

It was Trump who announced the military action, and Britain’s involvement, saying the three allies had “marshalled their righteous power against barbarism and brutality".

READ MORE: Downing Street says legal case for Syria airstrikes has been met

In a statement released after the president’s, Theresa May described the strike as “limited and targeted” and said the decision had not been taken lightly, but was done in Britain’s national interest.

There was anger that the Prime Minister had not asked MPs for permission. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: "Syria's use of chemical weapons is sickening – but the question that the PM has not answered is how this action, taken without parliamentary approval, will halt their use or bring long-term peace.”

There was some confusion over whether the attack was the start of a longer campaign. Trump had suggested he was “prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents,” but his Secretary of Defence General James Mattis said this was a “one-time shot”.

Four Royal Air Force Tornado jets from the Akrotiri base in Cyprus took part in the strikes. Over 100 missiles were aimed at targets including a Syrian centre in the greater Damascus area for the research, development, production and testing of chemical and biological weaponry as well as a chemical weapons storage facility near the city of Homs.

READ MORE: Syria airstrikes: Hundreds gather in Damascus in defiance

A third target, also near Homs, contained both a chemical weapons equipment storage facility and a command post.

At least six loud explosions were heard in Damascus and smoke was seen rising over the city, a witness said.

The Russians were furious. “Again, we are being threatened. We warned that such actions will not be left without consequences,” Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, said on Twitter.

State-controlled Syrian TV said Syrian air defences shot down 13 missiles fired in the attack. The Russian defence ministry said none of the rockets launched had entered zones where Russian air defence systems are protecting military facilities in Tartus and Hmeimim.

READ MORE: Nicola Sturgeon hits out at Theresa May for following Donald Trump

The attack came as inspectors from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) were in the country to carry out tests Douma, where 43 people died, with, according to the World Heath Organisation’s partner, symptoms consistent to exposure to toxic chemicals.

The US, UK and France said they had enough evidence without the OPCW research to conclude that there had been a chemical attack and that the Syrian regime was responsible.

Though May doesn’t legally need to have the permission of MPs to launch strikes, there has been a constitutional convention dating back to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, that parliament is asked.

The Tory leader said there was an urgent need to take action: “While this action is specifically about deterring the Syrian regime, it will also send a clear signal to anyone else who believes they can use chemical weapons with impunity,” she said.

“This is the first time as Prime Minister that I have had to take the decision to commit our armed forces in combat – and it is not a decision I have taken lightly.

“I have done so because I judge this action to be in Britain’s national interest. We cannot allow the use of chemical weapons to become normalised – within Syria, on the streets of the UK, or anywhere else in our world.

“We would have preferred an alternative path. But on this occasion there is none.”

She added: “This is not about intervening in a civil war. It is not about regime change.

“It is about a limited and targeted strike that does not further escalate tensions in the region and that does everything possible to prevent civilian casualties.”

Taking to Twitter, the SNP’s defence spokesman, Stewart McDonald said that simply wasn’t good enough: “The PM has engaged UK forces in gesture bombing, with no major international consensus and no long term plan to halt the use of chemical weapons or deliver peace. Most worrying, is that she has acted at the behest of presidential tweets and sidelined parliament. 

“What does this new bombing campaign do to help move Syria towards peace?” He asked. “Nothing. Instead, it has the potential to dangerously complicate the war, making matters on the ground worse for the people that the strikes are supposed to help. There is no peace strategy.

“The desire to be seen to do something in response to the use of chemical weapons is not lost on anyone, but this kind of action, done in this way, may tick the box now that something has been done, but it is nothing more than that.

“This is not a brave or strong decision by the Prime Minister. If anything, her handling of the whole affair shows how weak she really is. Parliament needs to step up to the plate & fill the void of leadership, and hold this minority government to account. A sad time for politics.”

Nato’s Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, said he supported the actions by the US, UK and France. In a statement he said: “This will reduce the regime’s ability to further attack the people of Syria with chemical weapons.

“Nato has consistently condemned Syria's continued use of chemical weapons as a clear breach of international norms and agreements. The use of chemical weapons is unacceptable, and those responsible must be held accountable.

“Nato considers the use of chemical weapons as a threat to international peace and security, and believes that it is essential to protect the Chemical Weapons Convention. This calls for a collective and effective response by the international community.”