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The guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) fires a Tomahawk land attack missile from the Arabian Sea. USA TODAY

President Trump ordered precision missile strikes Friday evening on Syria in retaliation for a suspected chemical attack.

Trump said the strikes were intended to deter the use of chemical weapons like the attack on civilians in the Syrian town of Douma last week, and that the U.S. was prepared to continue the attacks until the Syrian regime stops using chemical weapons.

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Flares lit up the skies over Damascus, the Syrian capital, early Saturday as President Trump announced military airstrikes by the U.S., in cooperation with French and British allies. (April 13) AP

At least six explosions rang across Damascus as smoke filled the air, a witness told Reuters. The Barzah district of the city — the location of a major scientific research center — has been rocked by the strikes, another witness told the news agency.

Raw footage and images from Syria are pouring in of the coordinated strikes with the United Kingdom and France: