What You Need To Know About The Suspected Syrian Chemical Attack

President Donald Trump announced on Friday evening that the United States and its allies Britain and France had launched airstrikes on Syria in response to a suspected chemical attack that killed dozens on Saturday.

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https://t.co/6VLQYAlcto
Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 14, 2018

Earlier this week, Trump had raged against Syria and the regime of President Bashar Assad. On Wednesday, Trump suggested that missiles aimed at Syria will be coming.

Heres what you need to know about the reported atrocity.

What happened?

More than 40 Syrians, including men, women and children, choked to death after a suspected chemical attack in the city of Douma on Saturday. Some of the victims were discovered with foam coming out of their mouths, huddled in homes that reeked of chlorine.

At least 500 others were treated for symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals , the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

The attack took place in eastern Ghouta, near Damascus. The Assad regime has fought for years to take the area back from rebels, and an intensified push began a few months ago. A February bombing campaign killed more than 500 people in one week .

Rebels on Sunday appeared to reach a deal with the Syrian government, agreeing to cede the territory in Douma and move to another part of the country, The New York Times reported. Tens of thousands of people are expected to leave the area.

Two days later, a barrage of missiles was fired at a Syrian airbase in the Homs province. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitoring group, said 14 people were killed in that attack.