Syrian soldier killed as Israel strikes Aleppo
A Syrian soldier has been killed in Israeli missiles on the northern city of Aleppo.
Seven people – including two civilians – were wounded in the attacks on Monday, Syrian state media reported.
The strikes also put the city’s airport out of service and “resulted in material losses”, state news agency Sana reported, quoting a military source.
“At around 11.35pm, the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack with several missiles, targeting Aleppo International Airport and a number of sites in the vicinity of Aleppo,” Sana reported.
“A soldier was killed and seven people were wounded, including two civilians.”
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based opposition information office, reported explosions “in the area of Aleppo International Airport and the Nayrab military airfield in Aleppo province”.
The blasts caused a fire at a munitions depot and led to heavy damage at both airports, it said.
The observatory said Israeli missiles also fell on defence factories in the Safirah district of Aleppo province.
During more than a decade of civil war in Syria, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes on Syrian territory.
Its primary targets are Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and other Iran-backed forces, plus Syrian Army positions.
While Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out on Syria, it has previously said it would make a stand against Iran’s expanding footprint in the region.
Iran-backed militias have
maintained a heavy presence in the Aleppo region after providing key ground support to the army in its recapture of rebel-held districts in the city in 2016.
On March 22, an Israeli missile
strike reportedly aimed at an Iran-linked weapons depot also put Aleppo’s airport out of service, the observatory said.
That same month, the Syrian government said an Israeli attack killed three people.