Israeli strikes kill soldier, put Aleppo airport out of service: state media

Israeli strikes targeted north Syria’s Aleppo province late Monday, killing a solider and wounding seven people including two civilians and putting the area’s international airport out of service, state media reported.

“At around 11:35 p.m. (2035 GMT)… the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack with several missiles… targeting Aleppo international airport and a number of sites in the vicinity of Aleppo,” state news agency SANA said, citing a military source.

“A soldier was killed and seven people were wounded including two civilians,” SANA said, reporting “material losses” and that “Aleppo airport was put out of service.”

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported “a number of explosions in the area of Aleppo international airport and the Nayrab military airfield in Aleppo province… which led to a fire at a munitions depot.”

The Britain-based war monitor said there was “heavy material damage at both airports.”

It also said “Israeli missiles fell on defense factories in the Safireh area” of Aleppo province, “causing material damage.”

During more than a decade of war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on its territory, primarily targeting Iran-backed forces and Lebanese Hezbollah fighters as well as Syrian army positions.

While Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria, it has repeatedly said it will not allow its arch-foe Iran to extend its footprint in the war-torn country.

Iran-backed militias have a heavy presence in the Aleppo region after providing key ground support to the army in its recapture of rebel-held districts of the city in 2016.

On March 22, an Israeli missile strike destroyed a suspected arms depot used by Iran-backed militias at Aleppo airport, the Observatory said at the time, with authorities saying that raid put the airport out of service.

On March 7, three people were killed in an Israeli strike on the airport that also brought air traffic to a halt.