Damascus – Flights at Aleppo airport in northern Syria were temporarily halted on Monday due to Israeli air strikes, according to the Syrian state news agency Sana, which cited a military source. This incident marks yet another occurrence in the more than 12-year-long civil war in Syria, during which Israel has conducted numerous airstrikes targeting Iranian-backed forces, Hezbollah fighters, and Syrian army positions.
The aerial aggression took place around 4:30 am (0130 GMT) and was executed from the Mediterranean west of Latakia, resulting in damage to the Aleppo International Airport’s runway, stated the source. Israel’s persistent objective has been to curtail Iran’s expansion within Syria, even though the country seldom acknowledges its strikes in the region.
An Israeli army spokesperson refrained from comment on the reported incident, adhering to their consistent policy of not addressing foreign media reports. Syria’s transport ministry official, Suleiman Khalil, emphasized that the damage primarily impacted the sole operational runway, and repair efforts would begin promptly to restore the airport’s functionality. Flights were rerouted to Damascus and Latakia airports in the interim.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights highlighted that the strikes extended to weapons depots at the nearby Nayrab military airport. The airports in Aleppo and the capital Damascus have frequently encountered grounding of flights due to Israeli strikes, both of which fall under government control.
Previous Israeli airstrikes in May led to casualties and a temporary halt in flights in the Aleppo region. The airport was rendered non-operational twice in March due to Israeli attacks. While the war’s frontlines have relatively subsided, substantial portions of northern Syria remain beyond government jurisdiction.
Last week, Israeli air strikes near Damascus resulted in the death of two fighters supportive of the Syrian government, according to the Observatory, which bases its information on an extensive network of on-ground sources within Syria.
Since its inception in 2011, Syria’s civil war has resulted in an overwhelming death toll of more than 500,000, widespread displacement, and severe damage to the country’s infrastructure and industries. The conflict drew in foreign actors and extremist groups, transforming the geopolitical landscape. Though the fighting has diminished in recent years, substantial portions of northern Syria remain outside the government’s reach. With support from Iran and Russia, President Bashar al-Assad’s administration has managed to regain significant territory that was initially lost to rebel forces.
With contributions from AFP