The Syrian Ministry of Defense reported early Wednesday morning that an Israeli airstrike targeted Aleppo International Airport, "resulting in some material damage to the airport." It added in a statement on Facebook: "The Israeli enemy carried out an air aggression with a number of missiles from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea west of Latakia around 3:55 AM today." Syrian television reported that the airport has been rendered inoperable due to damage sustained from this strike.
Two intelligence sources in the region indicated that the strike was a direct hit on an Iranian weapons depot at the airport, noting that it targeted an underground ammunition storage facility connected to the nearby Nairab military airport, where guided missile systems had been stored, arriving on board several Iranian military aircraft.
Western intelligence sources claim that Iran has increasingly relied on Aleppo Airport to transport more weapons over the past month, taking advantage of the significant increase in air transport as relief aid shipments followed a devastating earthquake that struck the area in February.
For years, Israel has been carrying out attacks on what it describes as Iran-linked targets in Syria, where Tehran's influence has grown since it began supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that began in 2011. This marks the third attack on Aleppo Airport in six months.
