Aleppo airport hit by Israeli airstrikes, Syrian defence ministry says
Aleppo airport
The Syrian defence ministry said early Wednesday that an Israeli air strike had targeted Syria's Aleppo airport. The attack caused some "material damage" to the airport, the statement on Facebook added. The Israeli military hasn't said anything about the strikes yet.
This was the second such attack on the airport this month, and the thirdin six months.
"Around 3:55 am (0055 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack... targeting Aleppo international airport, leading to some material damage," a defence ministry statement said.
"A number of missiles" were fired from the Mediterranean west of the coastal city of Latakia, it added.
No details have been given out about whether the attack caused any casualties.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the target of the strike was "the airport compound and a weapons depot belonging to pro-Iranian forces on the airport's perimeter". The Britain-based war monitor further added that the depot had been "completely destroyed".
The Aleppo airport was earlier targeted on March 7 when operations had to be halted for a few days. At least three people died in that attack. The airport was also acting as a major base for the entry of relief supplies following the February 6 quake. The attack brought to a stop all such relief flights as well which were later resumed days later.
More than 80 aid flights have landed in Aleppo with relief supplies following the earthquake, according to the transport ministry.Israel has attacked Aleppo and Damascus airports several times in recent years.
The airport had come under attack in September last year as well whenit went out of service for a few days. That attack targeted a warehouse used by Iran-backed militias.
Israel has been targeting what it describes as Iran-linked targets in Syria for several years. It says that Tehran's influence has grown since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that started in 2011.
(With inputs from agencies)
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