Around seven explosions were heard overnight in Venezuela’s capital Caracas, with military aircraft flying over the city and residents reporting gunfire in several districts and nearby areas.
This was reported by Associated Press and Reuters. According to Reuters, power was cut to southern parts of Caracas, close to a major military base, following the explosions.
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro signed a decree declaring a state of emergency in response to what authorities described as an attack on the country. Fox News reported that the White House confirmed the United States is carrying out strikes against Venezuela. US aviation authorities have also banned commercial flights in Venezuelan airspace.
CBS News reported that the operation had been planned for Christmas but was postponed due to weather conditions. There were also reports that Venezuela’s early warning systems failed to detect the initial strikes and that air defence guns were not operational. A fire was reported at the port of La Guaira following one of the strikes.