Russia Condemns US Missile Strikes on Syria

Russia and the United States have traded barbs at an emergency session of the UN Security Council called by Moscow after the US Army launched a barrage of cruise missiles against a Syrian government airbase.

Syria's Army said six people were killed in the early hours of Friday morning after the US fired nearly 60 Tomahawk missiles at Shayrat airbase, which Washington has referred to as retaliation for a suspected chemical weapons attack, Aljazeera reported.

Vladimir Safronkov, Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, "strongly" condemned the US for what he called a "flagrant violation of international law and an act of aggression".

"The consequences of this for regional and international stability could be extremely serious," he told the UN Security Council.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the missile strikes were "fully justified" and warned that Washington was ready to take further military action.

"The United States took a very measured step last night," she told the council. "We are prepared to do more, but we hope it will not be necessary."

Mounzer Mounzer, deputy Syrian ambassador to the UN, called the US strike a "barbaric, flagrant act of aggression" that will embolden "terrorist groups" to use chemical weapons in the future. At least 88 people, including 29 children, were killed in the suspected poison gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib Province.