Syria accuses Israel of airstrikes in Damascus, Aleppo; no casualties reported

Syria has recently accused Israel of conducting two air attacks against Aleppo International Airport and the other near the nation’s capital, Damascus, on Wednesday night. The state-run SANA news agency reported that the airport in northern Syria was damaged by the first airstrike, however, it did not give any further information regarding the incident. Besides this, the Syrian government has not reported any casualties. 

According to a statement from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a United Kingdom-based opposition war monitor, a runway at the Aleppo International Airport and the nearby warehouses were the targets of four missiles fired by Israel. The organisation further asserted that there was possibly a shipment of Iranian missiles in the warehouses, Associated Press reported.   

It is pertinent to note that there have reportedly been Israeli airstrikes in Aleppo, a significant city in northern Syria close to its border with Turkey. Israeli airstrikes were last reportedly conducted in the region in July 2021. 

Missile attack in Damascus following Aleppo airport strike

After the alleged attack on Aleppo, SANA reported that Syrian air defences were retaliating against another Israeli airstrike over Damascus. Syrian state television further stated that air defence systems in Damascus were reportedly launching missiles towards what they said were Israeli targets south of the Syrian capital. According to the opposition war monitor, Israeli attacks were directed at military targets. Notably, there were no casualties recorded. 

As per the media outlet, several "hostile missiles" were shot down over Damascus and the surrounding region. Without going into more detail, SANA stated that the strike near Damascus damaged a number of sites.  

Over the last few years, Israel has conducted hundreds of attacks on targets inside of Syria's government-controlled regions, although it seldom admits or discusses such operations. Regarding the bombing that was directed at Aleppo's airport, the Israeli military declined to comment, AP reported.  

Besides this, in July 2021, Syria charged Israel for conducting an airstrike on a central province. It claimed that the aircraft assault caused material harm. The majority of the missiles used in the strike in the Al-Qusayr area of Homs province were shot down by the air defense systems, according to an unnamed Syrian military source reported by the nation's official news agency.

(Image: AP)