Germany's Merkel backs joint strike on Syrian regime

By Ayhan Simsek

BERLIN

Germany has welcomed the U.S.-led military strikes on the Syrian regime’s chemical sites after last week’s chemical attack in Douma.

In a written statement on Saturday, Chancellor Angela Merkel underlined that the joint strike by the U.S., U.K., and France specifically aimed at destroying Syria's suspected chemical weapons capabilities and deterring further use of such banned weapons.

“We support the move by our American, British and French allies, as permanent members of he UN Security Council, assuming responsibility in this manner,” she said.

“The military operation was necessary and appropriate to uphold the international ban on chemical weapons and to warn the Syrian regime against further violations.”

The White Helmets, a civil defense agency, blamed the al-Assad regime for the alleged chemical attack in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta on April 7, which killed 78 civilians and injured hundreds of others.

On Friday night, the U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S., the U.K. and France jointly launched strikes targeting the al-Assad regime's alleged chemical weapons capabilities.

The strikes targeted a chemical weapons research center, a chemical weapons warehouse and a command center, according to Pentagon.