The Day After: How People in Damascus Survived US Tomahawks' Attack
Although April 14 began for the residents in Damascus with explosions and exploding missiles, they've attempted to go about their daily lives and even mock Donald Trump, who ordered the attack. Sputnik’s contributor in the Syrian capital talked to the people about how they spent the day after the bombing.
The airstrike awoke the Syrians in the capital city of Damascus at four in the morning and kept them sleepless for nearly an hour. The joint forces of the US, the UK and France launched about 100 missiles, 70 of which were shot down, according to the reports from the Syrian army forces. The attack damaged Syrian infrastructure and left three civilians injured; one of the military insiders has told Sputnik that they were minor. He admitted that one of the targets was the Syrian Scientific Research Centre in the capital district of Barzeh, but noted that the airstrikes on the army facilities in the rural areas close to Damascus were repelled.
“Our air defense system proved itself to be effective against the US rockets; I can say that the attack was unsuccessful, and we took lighter losses,” he told Sputnik.
Apart from a protest against the US attack close to a mosque in the city center, the residents of Damascus told Sputnik that they were able to survive the night and have tried to return to everyday life.
“My family and I woke up when we heard the explosions; we followed what was going on with the national media. For me, this morning was not much different from others, I got up early and opened my shop,” shop staffer Akhmet to Sputnik.
50-year-old mother of four Umm Reem, who lives in Barzeh district close to the bombed research center, told Sputnik that her children were frightened, but she tried to put them back to sleep.
“During a morning prayer, I prayed for our country. May the American kids relive the fear, our children had to this night,” she said.
In social media some mocked Donald Trump and his offensive. One of the commentators posted “Trump’s rockets are no smarter than their master.” Prior to the attack, the US President tweeted a threat to Syria and Russia, boasting about the US rockets.
Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2018
One of those “nice, new, smart” but repelled rockets was allegedly jokingly put on sale by one of the Facebook users from Syria.
On sale: US made Tomahawk rockets, with traces of the Gulf countries. Having been in use, they need two things: wings and fresh paint. The interested ones can reach the Syrian air forces.”
On April 14 the United States, France, and the United Kingdom launched strikes on a number of targets in Syria in response to the alleged chemical incident in the Damascus' suburb of Douma. The Western states have accused forces of President Bashar Assad of an attack with the use of chemicals in Douma. The Syrian leadership denied any involvement in the attack, and invited the experts from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate into the reports. Damascus has repeatedly said it had eliminated its chemical weapons stockpiles. Russian President Vladimir Putin stated on Saturday that the strikes had been carried out in violation of norms and principles of the international law.
- Source : SPutnik
