The US notified Russian forces in advance of its missile strike on a Syrian air field, according to a statement released by the Pentagon detailing the attack.

Pentagon Spokesman Jeff Davis said the strike had been conducted at 8:40pm EDT (4:40am in Syria) targeting Shayrat Airfield in Homs, Syria in response to the chemical weapons attack of April 4. He said the strike was intended to deter the Assad regime from the use of chemical weapons.

Mr Davis also confirmed the use of 59 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, saying they targeted “aircraft, hardened aircraft shelters, petroleum and logistical storage, ammunition supply bunkers, air defense systems, and radars”.

He said Russian forces had been warned in advance of the strike through a deconfliction line and that US military planners “took precautions to minimize risk to Russian or Syrian personnel located at the airfield.”