An approval was given to the US military by the US President Donald Trump to launch strikes against Syria, in collaboration with the UK and France.

The strikes are in response to an alleged chemical attack on the Syrian town of Douma last week.

Trump addressing the nation said a combined operation with the armed forces of France and the United Kingdom is now underway. Explosions were reported near the Syrian capital Damascus.

The strikes were ordered “on targets associated with the chemical weapons capabilities” of the Syrian government, Trump said. The US president said the purpose was “to establish a strong deterrent against the production, spread and use of chemical weapons”.

“These are not the actions of a man, they are the crimes of a monster instead,” Trump said speaking of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

Syria has denied carrying out the attack.