Israeli Airstrikes Disrupt Operations Once Again at Damascus and Aleppo Airports

Israeli airstrikes have, once more, incapacitated both the Damascus and Aleppo airports, as reported by Syrian state media, Sunday morning. This marks the second time in just two weeks that these key transportation hubs have been targeted.

The attacks resulted in one fatality and another person sustaining injuries, as confirmed by the Syrian Arab News Agency.

Israeli forces previously targeted these airports on Oct. 12, causing extensive damage to the runways of both facilities. Back then, Syrian media, citing military sources, reported that the strikes had rendered the landing strips inoperable.

These latest airstrikes reportedly had far-reaching consequences. According to Yisrael Hayom, they not only compelled Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to divert his flight to Baghdad instead of Damascus, but also disrupted an Iranian shipment of anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles en route to the Syrian capital.

Reportedly, the attack on the Damascus airport occurred just 10 minutes before a Mahan Air Airbus A340-313, carrying 10 tons of missiles from Tehran’s Mehrabad International Airport, was scheduled to land. The subsequent strike on the Aleppo airport’s landing strip was seemingly aimed at preventing any diversions there.

Israel has reportedly conducted numerous airstrikes in Syria over the past several years, primarily to hinder Iranian military involvement in the region. However, Israel has rarely publicly acknowledged its involvement in such incidents.