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President Donald Trump ordered the strike following this week's chemical attack that killed dozens of people including women and children Tuesday, April 4.

According to a statement by Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin spokesman, the U.S. has dealt the strikes under "far-fetched pretext."

Russia has argued that the death of civilians in the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun resulted from Syrian forces hitting a rebel chemical arsenal there.

U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Thursday that "either Russia has been complicit (in the attacks) or Russia has been simply incompetent."

Addressing the media shortly after reports of the airstrike began to spread, Trump said the action was "in the vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons."

"Tonight I call on all civilized nations to join us in seeking to end the slaughter and bloodshed in Syria, and also to end terrorism of all kinds and all types," he said.