Syrian state media SANA has reported that Israel launched an air raid on Syria’s Aleppo International Airport (ALP) on the morning of March 7, 2023.
Though no immediate casualties have been reported, the missile attacks have thrown the airport out of service.
According to the report, Syria’s air defenses were activated but it was not clear if there were any interceptions.
Syria, along with Turkey, was struck by a devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake in early February 2023, which has so far claimed more than 50,000 lives. ALP airport is Syria’s second largest airport and has been one of the main receiving points for earthquake relief and aid supplies.
Because of ALP airport’s closure due to the strike damages, landing of humanitarian relief aid planes have been temporarily redirected to Damascus International Airport (DAM) and Lattakia’s Bassel al-Assad International Airport (LTK).
“Following the Israeli aggression that targeted Aleppo International Airport and caused it to be out of service, it was decided to transform the landing of humanitarian relief aid planes for those affected by the earthquake, and the scheduled and programmed flights through Aleppo International Airport to become through the airports of Damascus and Lattakia,” the Syrian Ministry of Transport said in a statement seen by SANA.
Israel has intensified strikes on Syrian airports to disrupt Tehran’s increasing use of aerial supply lines to deliver arms to allies in Syria and Lebanon, including Hezbollah, regional diplomatic and intelligence sources told Reuters.
According to SANA, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Nasser Kanaani condemned the current attack on ALP airport.
This is not the first time that ALP airport has been taken out of service due to Israeli air strikes. The airport, which opened its first commercial flight in February 2020 after nine years, was also inoperable after an Israeli air strike in September 2022.