Israel strike knocks out airport in Syria's Aleppo: Defence Ministry
The Hindu
The airport has been a major conduit for aid flights since a February 6 earthquake devastated swathes of southeastern Turkey and neighbouring Syria
Israeli warplanes struck Aleppo airport before dawn on March 7, 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 2:07 a.m. local time (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.
More than 80 aid flights have landed in Aleppo over the past month with relief supplies for quake-hit areas, Transport Ministry official Suleiman Khalil told AFP.
"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.