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Rahim Othman has been waiting a long time for the U.S. to fire missiles at his home country.

“When I first heard the news, I wasn’t sure whether it was a dream or real. I think it’s about time that the international community does something about protecting innocent people,” Othman, of the Syrian-Canadian Council of B.C., said.

Nevertheless, he remains “deeply concerned” about the civilians left in Syria.

He says the Syrian community in Canada is “just watching the news like everyone else,” but hoping that the U.S. strikes will deter the Assad regime from further chemical weapons attacks.

That sentiment was shared by President Donald Trump, who said the U.S. assault was vital to deter future use of deadly chemical weapons. He also called on other nations to join in seeking “to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria.”

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“[Assad’s regime] has been feeling immune. They are weaker than everybody thinks. This what many of us believe, the only problem is that they have been committing those attacks for the last five, six, seven years with no response from anybody,” Othman said.

“Most of us have been feeling very hopeless.”

Trump’s missile attack came days after chemical weapons were deployed against civilians in a northern rebel-held area of Syria. While the number of dead has not been confirmed, at least 70 people are believed to have been killed.

Assad and the Russian defense ministry denied the reports alleging the Syrian government carried out the attacks, according to the New York Times.

WATCH BELOW: A Syrian doctor treating victims of the suspected Syrian chemical attack described the horrific symptoms he observed in the victims.

0:52 Syrian doctor describes horror he witnessed in chemical attack victims Syrian doctor describes horror he witnessed in chemical attack victims

–With files from The Associated Press, Reuters and Catherine Urquhart

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