An Israeli airstrike that struck Damascus International Airport caused “significant” damage to infrastructure and rendered the main runway unserviceable until further notice, Syria said Saturday.
The statement by the Transportation Ministry was the first detailing the extent of damage from Friday’s airstrike, the Associated Press reported.
Syrian media reported earlier that Syria suspended all flights to and from the airport and the ministry confirmed all flights were suspended because “some technical equipment stopped functioning at the airport."
Israel's military has declined to comment on the airstrike.
Saturday’s statement said the runway had been damaged “in several locations” and that the strike also hit the airport’s second terminal building.
“As a result of these damages, incoming and outgoing flights through the airport were suspended until further notice,” it said.
The airport is located south of the capital Damascus where Syrian opposition activists say Iran-backed militiamen are active and have arms depots.
Israel has for years carried out strikes in the area, including one on May 21 that resulted in a fire near the airport leading to the postponement of two flights. This was the first time an airstrike caused damage leading to the suspension of flights at the airport.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Friday morning Israeli strike hit three arms depots for Iran-backed groups inside the airport, adding that the northern runway at the facility was damaged, as was the observation tower.
The Observatory added that the northern runway was the only one functioning after Israeli strikes last year badly damaged the other runway, known as the southern runway.
