Transcript for Syrian airfield hit by US missiles up and running again

with new bombings by president bashar Al Assad on his own people in that chemical attack. This as images are emerging of Syrian jets taking off from the airbase targeted by U.S. Tomahawk missiles. President trump defending and explaining the decision not to bomb the runways and tonight we hear from one of the most visible victims from the Syrian attack. The father of baby twins killed by the chemical weapons. ABC east Alex Marquardt leads us off tonight. Reporter: Tonight, the Syrian airbase hit by the U.S. Military back up and running, new photos showing Syrian jets taking off less than 24 hours after the U.S. Strike. The markings from the bombings seen on bunkers. Images showing aircraft and bombed out fuel tanks and damage to aircraft shelters. But the runways untouched. Tonight the president tweeting a defense. The reason you generally don't hit runways is that they are easy and inexpensive to quickly fix. The Pentagon says it was from this base that a plane took off with the deadly nerve agent used in Tuesday's chemical attack that killed more than 80 people. And that town bombed again today according to a watchdog group. There is irony here that it does appear that it's okay for Mr. Assad to blow up his people. It's just not okay to gas them. When president trump announced the strike he pointed to the children who were killed. It was a slow and brutal death for so many. Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack. Perhaps no image more gut wrenching of this one of Abdul hameem Youssef hugging his two lifeless twins. He went house to house trying to rescue neighbors and family. Many foaming at the mouth. He lost 25 relatives in the attack during which he fainted. Translator: When I came to I asked for them he said. I told them hello darlings I took too long. I rescued everyone else but I couldn't rescue you. Describing the moment the photo was taken Youssef said I wasn't aware of anything. I thought they were alive. I was expecting them to hug me back. That father's story and the images so devastating. Alex joins us live. The big question, will Syria respond to the U.S. Attack and do we know if today's new bombing by Syria of that town where the chemical attack occurred was that retaliation? Reporter: It's unclear whether that Syrian attack was in direct response to the American strike which president Assad has called an unjust act of aggression but we are seeing the reaction. A defiant Assad saying we are going to continue carrying bombing runs and launching our planes from the base that you just struck. Tom. Alex, thank you. Digging deeper into the decision around that strike plus the

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