A war monitor reported that Israel killed four Syrian officers and three Iran-backed fighters in its strikes on north Syria’s Aleppo province overnight, which also put the area’s international airport out of service.
Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory primarily targeting Syrian army positions, Iran-backed forces, and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters during the more than a decade of war in Syria.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Israeli missiles hit the Aleppo international airport area and the Nayrab military Airfield area nearby late on Monday, causing explosions at both facilities and severe damage.
The strikes resulted in the complete destruction of a munitions depot in the Nayrab airfield area, killing four Syrian army officers and three pro-Iran foreign fighters. The monitor, which relies on a vast network of sources on the ground, raised the toll from four dead.
The Britain-based monitor also reported that Israeli missiles hit Syrian air force factories in the Safireh area of Aleppo province, causing extensive material damage. It added that the sites used by pro-Iran fighters.
The Aleppo airport knocked out in the recent strikes, according to both the Observatory and state media. There is no immediate information on the damage or when it will reopen.
The state news agency SANA reported that the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack targeting the Aleppo international airport and surrounding sites, which resulted in the death of a soldier and seven injuries, including two civilians. The agency also reported material losses.
Israeli strikes
Previous Israeli strikes have targeted and put both Aleppo and Damascus airports out of service. Israel has repeatedly stated that it will not allow Iran to expand its presence in Syria.
Iran-backed militias have a significant presence in the Aleppo region, providing ground support to the army in recapturing rebel-held areas in 2016.
On March 22, an Israeli missile strike destroyed a suspected arms depot at Aleppo airport used by Iran-backed militias, putting the airport out of service. On March 7, an Israeli strike on the airport resulted in three deaths and halted air traffic.
In recent strikes on Saturday, Israeli air strikes near the Syrian city of Homs resulted in three civilians being wounded, and a Hezbollah munitions depot at the Dabaa military airport being destroyed, according to the Observatory.
