Missile strikes have killed at least 3 people and started a fire at the Damascus airport, Syrian Defence Ministry says
FILE PHOTO © AFP / STR
At least three people have been killed at the Damascus international airport on Friday, in what the Syrian government said was a missile attack from Israel. Two flights were delayed as a result of a fire at the airport. Israeli media reported that the strikes targeted Syrian and Iranian military objectives.
Syrian air defenses intercepted multiple “hostile targets” in the skies over Damascus late on Friday, but some missiles got through to cause casualties and start a fire at the airport, according to the Syrian Defense Ministry.
Explosions could also be heard along the coast and in the city of Tartus, which hosts a Russian naval base in Syria.
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Friday’s attack targeted pro-Iranian militias operating in Syria, according to the Israeli outlet Ynet. Israeli government has not officially commented on the reports so far.
On the rare occasion Tel Aviv has admitted carrying out attacks inside Syria, the Israeli government says it has the right to preemptive self-defense against Iran. Tehran has sent military aid to Damascus against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and other terrorist groups.
Last month, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah warned Israel that if such strikes continue, Iran might “attack Israel directly,” citing the March missile strike against a suspected Israeli base of operations in the northern Iraqi city of Erbil.
