The United States launched dozens of cruise missiles 
Thursday night at a Syrian airfield in response to what it 
believes was the Syrian government's use of banned 
chemical weapons blamed for having killed at least 100 
people on Tuesday, U.S. military officials told NBC News.
Two U.S. warships in the Mediterranean Sea fired at least 
50 Tomahawk missiles intended for a single target — Ash
 Sha'irat in Homs province in western Syria, the officials said. 
That's the airfield from which the United States believes the
government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad fired the 
banned weapons.
There was no immediate word on casualties. U.S. officials 
told NBC News that people were not targeted and that
 aircraft and infrastructure at the site, including the runway, 
were hit.
 Syria Crisis: Trump Given Military Options After Chemical 
Attack 2:25
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Nikki Haley, the U.S.
 ambassador to the United Nations, have bluntly blamed 
included at least 25 children.
Tillerson told reporters on Thursday that "there is no doubt 
in our minds" that the Syrian regime was responsible for the
 attack. And in a combative speech at the U.N. Security
 Council on Wednesday, Haley warned: "When the United
 Nations consistently fails in its duty to act collectively, there 
are times in the life of states that we are compelled to take
 our own action."
 Tillerson on Assad Regime: He Has 'No Role' to Govern
 Syria0:58
NBC News reported Thursday that Defense Secretary 
military options, which included carrying out targeted
 strikes against those responsible for Tuesday's attack.
There was no immediate reaction from Russia, which 
Tillerson and Haley have accused of turning a blind eye
 to Syria's transgressions.
"Russia cannot escape responsibility for this," Haley said
 at the United Nations. "They chose to close their eyes to 
the barbarity. They defied the conscience of the world."
Thursday, Tillerson urged Russia to "consider carefully 
their continued support of the Assad regime."
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