Russia denounces Israeli attack on Syrian airport that killed one civilian

The Russian Federation has condemned Israeli airstrikes at Damascus International Airport and asked the Jewish State to halt such activities in future. In a statement, Spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova said that the ongoing Israeli shelling of the Syrian territory was “absolutely unacceptable”. Branding the attacks as “provocative” she denounced the strike on critical Syrian civilian infrastructure.” 

Her remarks came on Thursday, the same day when Syrian state media reported that Damascus International Airport was hit by Israeli missiles during an aerial attack on a military position south of the Syrian capital. Later Saudi daily Al-Watan confirmed the strike stating that the runway on the airport suffered destruction. Syrian state news agency SANA did not mention a strike, but said that flights had been suspended because “some technical equipment stopped functioning at the airport”.

According to the Bashar al-Assad government, the strikes were aimed at Syrian civilians. Thursday’s strikes wounded one person and caused material damage. Notably, it was the second Israeli strike on an Arab country this week. Israel also shelled Syrian military positions in a demilitarised part of Golan Heights, local media reported. 

Why does Israel keep on firing at Syria despite being 'neutral'?

Israel’s strikes on the Syrian Arab Republic are irregular and are often preceded by stray attacks-both by the Syrian army and rebels on its mainland or occupied Golan Heights. Other times, the attacks are triggered by external interference, particularly those by Arab states and Russia. A recent BBC report stated that the missiles or other attacks from Iran-sponsored rebels in Syria also prompt Israeli airstrikes and many times planned assassinations, a move that zionists believe could prevent Iran to establish a stronghold in Syria. During his tenure, former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publically announced that he would thwart any attempts made by Iran to establish bases on Syrian territory that could be used against Israel. 

Experts have opined that most often Israel attributes stray fires to the Bashar al-Assad administration and retaliates with fires on government positions. Notably, Damascus last month, accused the zionists of shooting dead Syrian Golan Affairs leader Midhat Saleh al-Saleh. Israel occupied the Golan Heights during the six-day war of 1967. Out of its total area of 1,860 square kilometres, roughly 1,500 square kilometres remain under Israeli occupation while the rest is controlled by Syria as ‘Syrian Golan’.

(Image: AP)