Syrian Arab Airlines Airbus A340 takes off from Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, Russia on 15 October 2017. (Photo credit: Dmitry Terekhov via Wikimedia Commons)
The most recent Israeli aerial aggression on Syria on 10 June damaged the functional capacity of the Damascus International Airport, according to the Syrian state news agency SANA.
The Syrian ministry of transportation said that all flights were suspended as a result of the Israeli attack on airstrips and the navigation lights, as well as the damage caused to the airport lobby.
The damage was extensive, targeting the runways, navigation, and other airport infrastructure.
Photos showing the extensive damage to the passenger halls at Syria’s main airport after the unprovoked Israeli aggression at dawn. pic.twitter.com/hotOmNGAu7
— Lebanese News and Updates (@LebUpdate) June 11, 2022
“Civil Aviation personnel and national competent companies are working together to fix the damages,” the ministry noted.
Passenger and cargo flights will only resume once the necessary repairs are completed.
Damascus International Airport is a key lifeline between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the various resistance groups in Lebanon and Palestine who receive military, financial, and other forms of support with Syria as a transit stop.
Many believe that disrupting services in the airport is likely to put a strain on Tehran’s steady support to Lebanese and Palestinian armed resistance groups.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova conveyed Moscow’s condemnation of the attack, and demanded that Israel “stop these evil practices.”
“Russia reiterates that the consistent Israeli aggression on the Syrian Arab Republic’s territories poses violation of the basic rules of the international law,” the Russian official said. “Such irresponsible actions pose grave threats to the International Air Transport and puts innocent souls at risk.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian also reached out to his Syrian counterpart to condemn the attack.
The attack on 10 June that badly damaged the Damascus International Airport was the second attack in one week, with the preceding one taking place on 6 June.
Last month, in a letter to the UN, Syria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded that the UN issue a “clear” condemnation of the frequent airstrikes by Israel on its territory.
The letter was sent to UN Secretary General and the president of the UN Security Council, who said Damascus hoped that the two UN bodies would “adopt a clear position on the Israeli attacks on Syrian sovereignty.”
The Syrian ministry urged the UN to ensure that Israel abides by the relevant Security Council resolutions and ends its attacks on the region.