Israeli attack paralyses Syria’s Aleppo airport, disrupts earthquake aid deliveries
- Warplanes targeted the airport, a major conduit for aid flights since last month’s earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria
- ‘It is no longer possible to receive aid flights until the damage has been repaired’; the strike put the runway out of service
Israeli warplanes struck Aleppo airport before dawn on Tuesday, causing significant damage that halted flights to and from Syria’s war- and quake-battered second city, the defence ministry said.
The airport has been a major conduit for aid flights since a February 6 earthquake devastated swathes of southeastern Turkey and neighbouring Syria, and they too were brought to a stop, a transport ministry official said.
“At exactly 2:07am (2307 GMT Monday), the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack from the Mediterranean west of Latakia targeting Aleppo international airport,” the defence ministry said in a statement.
The damage forced authorities to close the airport to all flights, the ministry added. There was no immediate word on any casualties.
“It is no longer possible to receive aid flights until the damage has been repaired,” he said, adding that the strike had put the runway out of service.
Aid deliveries have been diverted to Damascus and Latakia airports, a ministry statement said.
