Tel Aviv: In a sign of further flare-up in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, Israeli troops have fired shells at Damascus and Aleppo in Syria, damaging the airports there. It is not known whether there are any casualties in the attack.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has alleged that Syria has been extending support to attacks on Israel. Sources in the IDF said that the firing was held on Sunday early morning. Meanwhile, Syrian state-run news agency SANA said Israel carried out airstrikes against the Aleppo and Damascus airports earlier this morning, damaging runways. On Saturday, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said that Israel will take strong positions if attacks were coming to the country from outside the country.Gallant warned Hezbollah and Syria of consequences in such a situation.
While Israeli strikes have repeatedly caused the grounding of flights at the government-controlled airports in the capital Damascus and the northern city of Aleppo, it is the second time simultaneous strikes have hit the facilities since this month's conflict between Israel and Hamas began.
"At around 5.25 am (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.
"Material damage to the airports' runways put them out of service," the statement added. The transport ministry said flights were diverted to Latakia airport.
The military source said the "simultaneous" strikes came "from the direction of the Mediterranean west of Latakia and from the direction of the occupied Syrian Golan", according to the statement.
