DAMASCUS, Oct 12 (Portal) – Syria said Israeli forces launched simultaneous rocket attacks on airports in its capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo on Thursday, damaging runways and disabling both hubs.
A Syrian military source quoted by state news agency SANA said “rocket explosions” hit the two airports simultaneously, in what he said was an attempt to divert world attention from Israel’s war against Hamas militants in Gaza.
The Israeli military said it had no comment on such reports.
Israel has been carrying out attacks for years against targets in Syria it believes are linked to Iran, including Aleppo and Damascus airports.
Sources said attacks on the airports were intended to disrupt Iranian supply lines to Syria, where Tehran’s influence has increased since it backed President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war since 2011.
Thursday’s attacks came a day before Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian’s scheduled visit to Syria.
Israel has vowed to destroy the Hamas movement that rules the Gaza Strip in retaliation for the deadliest attack on civilians in its history, as hundreds of gunmen crossed the barrier and rampaged through Israeli cities on Saturday.
Tehran has celebrated Hamas’ attacks but denied being behind them.
On Tuesday, Israeli troops fired artillery and mortar shells into Syria after rockets from southern Syria hit Israeli positions across the border.
Reporting by Firas Makdesi; Writing by Maya Gebeily; Editing by Alex Richardson and Andrew Heavens
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