DAMASCUS: Israeli air strikes on Sunday put out of service two international airports in Syria, state media reported citing a military source, with the transport ministry saying flights were re-routed to Latakia.

Syria’s foreign ministry lambasted the Israel strikes on the airports as well as its assault on Gaza, and criticised the country’s backers in a statement later on Sunday. It “warns of the consequences of continuing these attacks and practices... that could plunge the region into wider spiralling violence that will be difficult to contain,” an official statement added.

While Israeli strikes have repeatedly caused the grounding of flights at airports in the capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo, it is the second time simultaneous strikes have hit the facilities since the Israel began air strikes on Palestinians.

“At around 5:25am (0225 GMT), the Israeli enemy carried out... an air attack... targeting Damascus and Aleppo international airports, leading to the death of a civilian worker at Damascus airport and wounding another,” the military source said in the statement carried by state news agency SANA. The woun­ded worker later died, state TV reported, citing a transport ministry source.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2023