Opposition leader slams UK premier over Syria strikes

Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn has slammed Premier Theresa May for not consulting the parliament before allowing the British military to join the U.S. and France in carrying out coordinated airstrikes in Syria.

In a statement released on Facebook, Corbyn, who is also the head of Labour Party, said: "Theresa May should have sought parliamentary approval, not tailed after Donald Trump.

"The government should do whatever possible to push Russia and the United States to agree to an independent UN-led investigation of last weekend's horrific chemical weapons attack so that those responsible can be held to account.

"This legally questionable action risks escalating further, as U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis has admitted, an already devastating conflict and, therefore, makes real accountability for war crimes and use of chemical weapons less, not more likely."

Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, however, backed May's decision.

In a post made on Twitter, Johnson said: "Welcome the news of UK military strikes against major chemical weapons facilities in Syria alongside our US and French allies.

"The world is united in its disgust for any use of chemical weapons, but especially against civilians."

Earlier on Saturday, the U.S., U.K. and France launched airstrikes on the Assad regime's alleged chemical weapons facilities in the country. While several Western countries backed the strikes, Russia strongly condemned the move, claiming it intercepted 71 out of the 100 plus strikes.

On April 7, the White Helmets, a civil defense agency, accused the Assad regime of an alleged chemical attack, which it said killed 78 civilians and injured hundreds of others.

Speaking in a news conference after the strikes, May said: "This was not about interfering in a civil war. And it was not about regime change. As I discussed with President Trump and President Macron, it was a limited, targeted and effective strike with clear boundaries that expressly sought to avoid escalation and did everything possible to prevent civilian casualties," according her televised remarks on Sky News.