DAMASCUS: Israeli airstrikes on Sunday severely damaged Syria’s two main airports, forcing them out of service, according to state media reports quoting a military source. The Syrian Transport Ministry announced that flights were being rerouted to Latakia.
This marks the second time that simultaneous Israeli strikes have hit the capital city’s Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo’s government-controlled airports since the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas began. At around 5:25 am (0225 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack targeting Damascus and Aleppo international airports, which tragically resulted in the death of a civilian worker at Damascus airport and the injury of another.
The military source, as reported by the state news agency SANA, stated that the material damage caused to the airports’ runways has rendered them out of service. Flights have been redirected to Latakia airport, allowing for continued travel.
These simultaneous strikes were launched from two directions: from the Mediterranean to the west of Latakia and from the occupied Syrian Golan, as indicated in the military source’s statement. This recent incident follows similar attacks on October 12, which temporarily knocked both Damascus and Aleppo airports out of service.
Moreover, during the past decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched numerous airstrikes on its northern neighbor, with a primary focus on targeting Iran-backed forces, Lebanese Hezbollah fighters, and Syrian army positions. Israel rarely comments on the specific strikes it conducts in Syria, but it has consistently expressed its stance on preventing its arch-foe Iran, which supports President Bashar Assad’s government, from expanding its presence in the region.
