The United States has launched dozens of cruise missiles at a Syrian government air base from where America says the Syrian military initiated a deadly chemical attack.

A Syrian official said the attack killed three soldiers and two civilians while seven others were wounded.

Talal Barazi, the governor of Homs province, said a fire raged in the air base in Homs for over an hour following the barrage of missiles. A Syrian opposition monitor said the attack killed four soldiers, including a general.

Syrian state TV called the attack, announced by US president Donald Trump, an “aggression”.

About 60 US Tomahawk missiles hit the Shayrat air base south east of Homs – a small installation with two runways, where aircraft often take off to bomb targets in northern and central Syria.