Hizbullah Slams U.S. Strike on Syria as 'Blatant Aggression, Foolish Step'

Hizbullah on Friday condemned the overnight U.S. missile strike on a Syrian air base as a “blatant aggression” and “foolish step” that will aggravate tensions in the region.

“This new crime reflects the U.S. administration's insistence on carrying on with the hostile course that the United States has always taken against our nation, in order to serve the interests of the Zionist entity and achieve its ambitions in the region,” Hizbullah said in a statement.

“Such reprehensible attacks cannot affect the morale of the heroic Syrian army which is achieving one victory after another against the terrorists who are backed by the U.S. and its cronies in the various Syrian regions,” the party added.

Such attacks “will not have any negative impact on the axis of resistance and resilience that is standing by the Syrian state and aiding it in its continuous war against terrorism,” Hizbullah, which has sent thousands of fighters into neighboring Syria to bolster the regime against an Islamist-led uprising, went on to say.

“This foolish step by the Trump administration will lead to great and dangerous tensions across the region and will further complicate the situations across the world,” Hizbullah warned.

The U.S. fired a barrage of 59 cruise missiles at the Shayrat base at dawn in response to a suspected chemical attack on a rebel-held town on Tuesday widely blamed on the Damascus regime.

The Syrian government has categorically denied the accusation, saying it had struck an arms depot belonging to a jihadist group.

At least 86 people, including 30 children, were reported killed in the chemical incident and more than 500 injured.

The dawn massive strike – U.S. President Donald Trump's biggest military decision since taking office -- marked a dramatic escalation in American involvement in Syria's six-year civil war.

It followed days of outrage at images of dead children and victims suffering convulsions from the suspected sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun.