Israeli Airstrikes Shut Down Syria’s Aleppo Airport

The strikes marked the second time Israel targeted the airport within a week

On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes in Syria targeted the Aleppo International Airport for the second time within a week. Syrian state media reported that the strikes put the airport out of commission.

Syria’s SANA news agency said that Israel launched missiles toward the airport from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea and that the strikes did damage to the runway, putting the airport out of service.

No casualties were reported in the strikes, but the damage was significant enough that the Syrian Transport Ministry said that air traffic was being diverted to Damascus.

Israel previously targeted the Aleppo airport on August 31. Back in June, Israel bombed the Damascus International Airport, causing extensive damage, which put the airport out of commission for two weeks.

Israel frequently bombs Syria but rarely comments on the operations. When Israeli officials do discuss the airstrikes in Syria, they frame them as attacks on Iran inside the country. But Tehran rejected this characterization on Monday, calling it “absurd” because their military presence in Syria is only an “advisory” one.

While framed as operations against Iran, Israeli airstrikes in Syria often kill Syrian troops and members of Shia militias. Like Tuesday’s strikes, Israeli bombings in the country often damage civilian infrastructure.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.