The satellite tv for pc photographs, taken early Tuesday afternoon by Planet Labs PBC, present autos gathered on the airport’s single asphalt runway across the harm. One spot, straight south of its passenger terminal, gave the impression to be a brand new, important crater.
It appeared the strike additionally focused three patched areas earlier struck in suspected Israeli assaults in September. The runway additionally was struck in late August at one other spot, although that patch work appeared undamaged.
Aleppo’s airport, like many others in Center East nations, is a dual-use facility that embody civilian and navy sides. Iran has been key in arming and supporting President Bashar Assad in his nation’s lengthy civil warfare.
The assault Tuesday has shut the Aleppo airport, with Syria’s International Minister describing it as a “double crime” because it focused a civilian airport and a essential channel for the movement of support to areas hit by final month’s earthquake.
Because the Feb. 6, earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria killed greater than 50,000 folks, together with 6,000 in Syria, scores of flights carrying support from totally different international locations have landed on the Aleppo airport. Authorities say reduction flights now have been diverted to airports in Damascus and Latakia.
On Wednesday, a United Nations official overseeing reduction efforts in Syria requested nations to take “all possible precautions to spare civilians and civilian objects within the conduct of hostilities.”
“The influence of this closure impedes humanitarian entry and will have drastic humanitarian penalties for hundreds of thousands of people that have been affected by the earthquake,” El-Mostafa Benlamlih mentioned. “Much more so, it might have opposed results on the broader susceptible inhabitants in want of humanitarian help.”
The workplace of Israel’s prime minister declined to remark Thursday when reached by the AP.
Comply with Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.