Israeli missile strike hits Damascus airport, killing two soldiers

Israel conducted a missile strike on Syria’s international airport in its capital of Damascus on Monday, killing two soldiers and injuring two others, the Syrian army said. 

The attack happened shortly after midnight and put the airport out of service, according to the army. Israel had previously targeted airports and ports in parts of Syria held by the government under Syrian President Bashar Assad to prevent arms shipments that Iran sent to militant groups that it backs, including Hezbollah. 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks human rights abuses in Syria and has been described as supporting the Syrian opposition to Assad, said four people were killed in the strike, but the conflicting reports could not be immediately reconciled. 

The observatory said a runway used for civilian flights has been fixed, but one used for cargo transport is out of service. It said that Iranian-backed groups use the cargo runway. 

Syria’s Ministry of Transport said some flights have resumed while repair work in other parts of the airport continue. 

The observatory said Israeli missile strikes also hit an arms depot close to the airport. 

Israel previously struck the Damascus airport in June, causing significant damage to infrastructure and runways. The airport was shut down for two weeks before reopening following repairs. 

Israeli airstrikes have also hit Syria’s international airport in Aleppo, shutting it down for days. 

Israel has conducted hundreds of missile strikes against government-held areas of Syria in recent years but has rarely publicly acknowledged them. It has said the presence of thousands of Iran-backed fighters working to help Assad in the Syrian civil war near Israel’s northern areas justifies the attacks. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.