US President Donald Trump has hailed an overnight military strike on Syria as “perfectly executed”, adding: “Mission Accomplished”.

The US, UK and France bombed three government sites, targeting what they said were chemical weapons facilities.

The strikes were in response to a suspected deadly chemical attack on the town of Douma last week.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he condemned the Western strikes “in the most serious way”.

Russia, Syria’s main ally, had threatened military retaliation if any Russian forces had been hit.

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In early morning tweets from Washington, President Trump thanked France and the UK for “their wisdom and the power of their fine military”.

He added: “So proud of our great military”, saying that after extra funding it would be “the finest our country has ever had”.

In a Friday evening address to the nation from the White House, he had said: “The nations of Britain, France, and the United States of America have marshalled their righteous power against barbarism and brutality.

“The purpose of our actions tonight is to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread, and use of chemical weapons.”

The wave of strikes is the most significant attack against President Bashar al-Assad’s government by Western powers in seven years of Syria’s civil war.

Responding to the strikes, Mr Assad said in comments published by his office: “This aggression will only make Syria and its people more determined to keep fighting and crushing terrorism in every inch of the country.”

Where was hit?

At a Pentagon briefing shortly after Mr Trump’s TV address, Gen Joseph Dunford listed three targets that had been struck:

• A scientific research facility in Damascus, allegedly connected to the production of chemical and biological weapons
• A chemical weapons storage facility west of Homs
• A chemical weapons equipment storage site and an important command post, also near Homs

A Russian defence ministry briefing said Russian units had tracked the actions of the US and UK forces but not the French.

It said “a number Syrian military airfields, industrial and research facilities” were hit. It said that:

• 103 cruise missiles were launched, including Tomahawk naval-based missiles as well as GBU-38 guided air bombs fired from B-1B. F-15 and F-16 aircraft launched air-to-surface missiles
• Syrian defence systems intercepted 71 of the cruise missiles
• Other targets were Damascus International Airport; the al-Dumayr airdrome; the Blai airdrome; the Shayrat air base; and the unmanned Mazzeh airdrome. Only the latter was hit, the ministry said
• Alleged chemical weapons facilities near Barzah and Jaramana were “partially destroyed” as 23 of 30 missiles hit the targets

Was anyone killed?

According to a Russian defence ministry statement, “preliminary information” said there had been no casualties among the Syrian army or civilians.

There were initial reports that three civilians had been injured in Homs.

US Secretary of Defence James Mattis told journalists there were no reports of US losses in the operation.

He also said the scale of the strikes was about “double” what was launched in April 2017 after a chemical attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun that killed more than 80 people.

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Vicky Baker

Will the strikes continue?

In his earlier address, President Trump had said: “We are prepared to sustain this response until the Syrian regime stops its use of prohibited chemical agents.”

But Secretary Mattis said that “right now, this is a one-time shot”.

Gen Dunford said the US had communicated with Russia ahead of the strikes through the normal procedures of their “deconfliction” hotline, which is used to prevent accidental clashes in a war zone with multiple international players. There had been concerns that if the US strike had hit Russian military personnel on the ground, it would further escalate tension.

What role did the UK and France play?

According to the UK Ministry of Defence, strikes carried out by four RAF Tornado jets hit one of the targets mentioned by the Pentagon – a military site near the city of Homs which is believed to have housed precursor materials for chemical weapons.

Eight Storm Shadow cruise missiles were fired by the jets.

Prime Minister Theresa May said there was “no practicable alternative to the use of force”.

But she also said the strikes were not about “regime change”.

She later added that while the assessment of the strikes’ results was ongoing, she was confident of their success.

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French President Emmanuel Macron also confirmed his country’s participation in the operation.

“Dozens of men, women and children were massacred with chemical weapons,” he said of the Douma incident a week ago – adding that “the red line had been crossed”.

Analysis: Will this time be different?

Jonathan Marcus, BBC defence correspondent

This attack was more significant than the US strike against a Syrian air base a little over a year ago, but at first sight seems more limited than President Trump’s rhetoric may have suggested.

Last year some 59 missiles were fired. This time a little over double that number were used.

The strikes are over for now, but there was a clear warning that if the Assad regime resorts to chemical weapons again, then further strikes may well follow.

Care was taken, say the Americans, to avoid both Syrian and “foreign” – for that read Russian – casualties.

But the fundamental questions remain. Will President Assad be deterred?

Last year’s US strike failed to change his behaviour. This time, will it be any different?

• Read more: Will Western strikes sway Syria’s Assad?

How has Syria responded?

Sana, Syria’s official state news agency, called the Western action “a flagrant violation of international law”.

“The American, French and British aggression against Syria will fail,” it said.

Syria has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons.

The international Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) had dispatched a fact-finding team to the site of the alleged attack in Douma and was set to start work on Saturday. The mission will still go ahead, said the OPCW after the strikes.

What has the worldwide reaction been?

Reaction to the strikes was mixed among the international community.

President Putin said they were “an act of aggression” and has called for a UN Security Council meeting.

But the BBC’s Kevin Connolly in Moscow says Russia’s statement that none of its military assets were threatened may suggest that any escalation through some sort of Russian retaliation has now been substantially reduced.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel – who had ruled out joining the military action – said she supported the strikes as “necessary and appropriate”.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg tweeted support for the strikes, saying those who use chemical weapons “must be held accountable”.

Nato said it would hold a special meeting on Saturday, where the US, UK and France would brief other member states.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his nation’s support for the strikes.

US Senator John McCain applauded Mr Trump for taking military action. The leading Republican and former prisoner-of-war, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, is often critical of the president.

Other US politicians argued that President Trump should come before Congress and receive authorisation for the use of military force.

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned UN members of their responsibilities.

“There’s an obligation, particularly when dealing with matters of peace and security, to act consistently with the Charter of the United Nations and with international law in general,” he said.

“I urge all member states to show restraint in these dangerous circumstances.”