How many died in the Syrian missile attack? Data revealed

Syria was faced with a chemical missile attack in which many were killed. The proper data was not made public.

But now the authorities have come forward with the data.

Missiles struck an air base in central Syria early on Monday, the country’s state-run news agency reported, killing at least 14 people, including Iranians, according to a war-monitoring group.

Although a news agency said it was likely “an American aggression,” U.S. officials said the United States had not launched the strikes.

Israel has also struck inside Syria in recent years. The Israeli military had no immediate comment Monday on the reported missile strike.

The missile attack followed a suspected poison gas attack on Saturday on the last remaining foothold for Syrian rebels in the eastern suburbs of Damascus. At least 40 people were killed in that assault, including families found in their homes and shelters, opposition activists and local rescuers said.

The news agency said the missile attack on the T4 military air base in Homs province resulted in a number of casualties but provided no specific figures.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war through a network of activists on the ground, said 14 died in the missile attack, including Iranians.

READ ALSO: Chemical missile attack in Syria kills many; who is responsible?

Rami Abdurrahman, the Observatory’s chief, said most of those killed were either Iranians or members of Iran-backed groups. The Observatory says it wasn’t immediately clear who was behind the attack.

A TV station of Lebanon’s Iran-backed Hezbollah group, which is fighting in Syria alongside the government forces, described the attack as an “Israeli aggression.”

Earlier, President Donald Trump had promised a “big price to pay” for the suspected chemical attack. After the airstrikes were reported, however, Pentagon spokesman Christopher Sherwood said in a statement that “at this time, the Department of Defence is not conducting airstrikes in Syria.”

The U.S. launched several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase last year, after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.

Saturday’s suspected poison gas attack on the besieged town of Douma came almost exactly a year after the U.S. missile attack prompted by the Khan Sheikhoun deaths.

In response to the reports, Mr. Trump on Sunday blamed Syrian government forces for what he called a “mindless CHEMICAL attack.” In a series of tweets, Mr. Trump held Russia and Iran, Syrian President Bashar Assad’s chief sponsors, responsible.

The Syrian government denied the allegations, calling them fabrications.