The British government said it fully supports the US air strikes on a Syrian air base and had "close contact" with the US government over the action, according to dpa. "Overnight, the US has taken military action against the Syrian regime, targeting the airfield in Shayrut which was used to launch the chemical weapons attack earlier this week," a government spokesperson said in a statement. "The UK government fully supports the US action, which we believe was an appropriate response to the barbaric chemical weapons attack launched by the Syrian regime, and is intended to deter further attacks," the statement said. The British government had "close contact" with the United States over the action, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon told broadcaster ITV.