Theresa May calls Syria strike 'right and legal' as UK defense secretary says it was a 'highly successful mission'

• UK defense secretary Gavin Williamson said the strikes launched by the US, UK, and France on Syria have been a 'highly successful mission.'
• Prime Minister Theresa May has also called them 'right and legal.'
• The missile strikes were launched on Friday night.
• They appear to have struck the capital city of Damascus.

The UK's defence secretary has said the strikes the US, UK, and France launched on Syria on Friday night have been a "highly successful mission" while British Prime Minister Theresa May has called them "right and legal."

Speaking at a press conference on the strikes on Saturday morning, May said no group other than the Syrian government could have carried out a suspected chemical weapons attack in Douma last week.

"We know that the Syrian regime has an abhorrent record of using chemical weapons against its own people," she said, adding that it was "both right and legal" to take action against the Syrian government, according to the BBC.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, defense secretary Gavin Williamson said four RAF tornados took part in strikes on targets in Syria, according to The Guardian.

A statement from Russia's defense ministry said that "more than 100 cruise missiles and air-to-land missiles were fired by the US, Britain, and France from the sea and air at Syrian military and civilian targets."

The missiles appear to have struck the capital city, Damascus.

The US confirmed at a press conference that one of the intended targets was a scientific research center in Damascus.

The statement from Russia's ministry went on to say that "a significant number" of missiles were shot down by Syrian air defences, and that no Russian air defences based in Syria were hit in the strikes.

However, Williamson said that initial assessments suggest it was a "highly successful mission."

The strike was in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack that reportedly killed dozens of people there earlier this month.

SEE ALSO: Photos of US, UK, and French military strikes show just how close missiles got to Syria's capital city

SEE ALSO: US, Britain, and France hammer Syria with missile strikes in response to suspected chemical weapons attack

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