WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump warned Russia on Wednesday of imminentmilitary action in Syria over a suspected poison gas attack, declaring thatmissiles “will be coming” and lambasting Moscow for standing by SyrianPresident Bashar Assad.

Trump was responding to a Russian warning on Tuesday that any US missilesfired at Syria over the assault on a rebel enclave would be shot down andthe launch sites targeted.

“Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get readyRussia, because they will be coming, nice and new and ‘smart!’,” Trumpwrote in a post on Twitter.

“You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his peopleand enjoys it!” Trump said, referring Moscow’s alliance with Assad.

In response, Russia’s Foreign Ministry said “smart missiles should flytowards terrorists, not legal government”. Damascus and Moscow refer torebels fighting Assad as terrorists.

The Syrian government and Russia say the reports of a poison gas assault onthe Syrian town of Douma are bogus. – Agencies