The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Monday evening that Israeli missiles targeted the area of Aleppo International Airport and the area of the nearby Nayrab military airfield, reporting explosions in the two installations and “serious damage”. (Image: Reuters file photo)
During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on its territory, mainly targeting Iranian-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.
Israeli strikes on Aleppo province in northern Syria have killed four Syrian officers and three Iranian-backed fighters, knocking out the region’s international airport, a war monitor reported on Tuesday. .
During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of airstrikes on its territory, mainly targeting Iranian-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Israeli missiles targeted “the Aleppo international airport area and the Nayrab military airfield area” nearby on Monday evening, reporting explosions in both installations and “serious damage”.
Strikes “completely destroyed” an ammunition depot in the Nayrab airfield area, killing four Syrian army officers and “three pro-Iranian foreign fighters”, the UK-based monitor said, which relies on an extensive network of sources on the ground, raising the risk toll of four dead.
Israeli missiles also hit Syrian Air Force factories in the Safireh area of Aleppo province, “causing significant material damage”, he said, adding that the sites were used by pro-Iranian fighters.
The Observatory and state media said the strikes knocked out Aleppo airport.
Officials did not immediately provide further information about when the facility is expected to reopen or the nature of the damage.
“Around 11:35 p.m. (20:35 GMT) (…) the Israeli enemy launched an air attack with several missiles (…) targeting Aleppo International Airport and a number of sites in the vicinity of Aleppo” , the official SANA news agency said, citing a military source. .
“A soldier was killed and seven people were injured, including two civilians,” SANA said, citing “material losses.”
Previous Israeli strikes have disabled airports in Aleppo and Damascus.
While Israel rarely comments on its strikes against Syria, it has repeatedly said it will not allow its nemesis Iran to expand its footprint in the war-torn country.
Iran-backed militias have a strong presence in the Aleppo region after providing essential ground support to the army during its recapture of rebel-held areas of the city in 2016.
On March 22, an Israeli missile strike destroyed an alleged weapons depot used by Iran-backed militias at Aleppo airport, the Observatory said at the time, with authorities claiming the raid put the airport out of service.
On March 7, three people were killed in an Israeli strike on the airport which also paralyzed air traffic.
On Saturday, three civilians were injured in Israeli airstrikes near the Syrian city of Homs, state media reported, with the Observatory reporting that a Hezbollah ammunition depot at Dabaa military airport had been destroyed.
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)