German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Friday (April 7) an attack by the United States on a Syrian airbase from which it said a chemical weapons attack was launched this week was understandable given the Syrian people's suffering.

"The attack of the United States is understandable given the dimension of the war crimes, given the suffering of innocent people, and given the blockage in the U.N. Security Council," Merkel said.

She described the strikes as "limited and targeted".