Israel’s air force has reportedly taken out both the Damascus and Aleppo airports in Syria. This follows Hezbollah claiming responsibility for firing anti-tank guided missiles into Israel yesterday, as well as missiles fired from Syria that Hamas claims credit for.
Damascus International Airport and Aleppo Airport in Western Syria were both Targeted today by the Isreali Air Force resulting in such Serious Damage that the Airports are currently Closed to any and all Flights including a Aircraft from the Iranian Government reportedly carrying… pic.twitter.com/I6aTbt4sgj
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) October 12, 2023
Fly Baghdad 921 from Erbil in Iraq had just landed. Syrian Air 516 from Dubai had descended below 18,000 but then appeared to divert to Bassel Al-Assad International Airport which serves Syria’s principal port city of Latakia. Syrian Air normally operates half a dozen flights from that airport, 141 miles from Damascus. This particular flight, operated by an Airbus A340-300, appears to operate once monthly.
As this is unfolding in real time, Fly Baghdad still shows that their aircraft will turn around this evening and fly to Najaf, and four Cham Wings Airlines flights show as taking off this evening – to Moscow, Muscat, Najaf, and Baghdad.
I would expect disruptions for inbound flights from Tehran, Erbil, Kuwait City and Athens today and an assessment of damage to determine interruptions going forward.
Aleppo airport had no scheduled arrivals unti a Cham Wings flight from Beirut on Saturday, and no departures until that plane turned back around shortly thereafter.
The strikes are believed to be intended to stop Iranian air resupply of weaponry via Syria.
Update: Per a new NOTAM, both Damascus airport runways (25L/5R and 23R/5L) are closed through Wednesday for ‘work in progress’. I expect this to be extended.
Great news! Keep pounding on them!
The Israeli air assaults on Syrian airports was also done to try to disrupt the flow of Iranian advisors/trainers reaching Hezbollah in Lebanon. I suspect that most of the material supplies meant to sustain Hezbollah’s capability to go after Israeli targets or defend against Israeli assaults had already been positioned and has other channels of greater relevance to Hezbollah’s capabilities than air transport.
Latakia is Russia’s military base for the Med and Syria.
For once, an airport closure that pleases me.
If you were Syria, would you
A. Try to damage TLV terminal 3
B. Fire some missiles into northern Israel
C. Do nothing
If Syria is wanting to play its best game for the lowest cost in response to its airports being hit, it would call this out as Israel’s externalization of its internal pain and an attempt by Israel to distract from Israel’s own actions closer to home and it would do nothing else other than refuse to take the proverbial provocative bait and thereby publicly signaling it won’t be escalating directly with it military forces.
Coming soon: the Gaza strip mine. Largest source of rubble.
@derek: If I were Syria, I’d pick better friends and never look in a mirror. But I’m not Syria, so I will make some popcorn and joyfully watch them get their butts kicked if they try anything.
@Mantis: I was thinking it should be the new Gaza world’s largest parking lot and dog park; paved with melted glass.
Babblespeak,
The price of Syria picking new friends has rather high costs for the Syrian establishment. A lot of them and their families will be targets for elimination in a post-Assad environment, subject to prosecution if they escape Syria, realize high break up costs with the Russians and the Iranians, and see Syria permanently fragmented more than it already is. And in the aftermath, ISIS, may find ripe pickings in the Syrian area and the Turks would go even more ballistic on the Kurds in the region, and the Alawites would possibly end up massacred too as vengeance for having suffered under the heel of Assad.
@Babblespeak: If you were Syria, you already have the best friends available to you. It’s hard to date outside the dictator club.