News - Middle East: Syria has strongly condemned the latest Israeli airstrike that targeted the international airport in the northwestern city of Aleppo, saying the attack is a gross violation of international law.

The Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates said in a statement on Tuesday that the strike once again reflects the ugliest forms of barbarism and inhumanity of the Tel Aviv regime, the country’s official news agency SANA reported.
The Syrian ministry also said the Israeli strike is considered a double crime as it targeted a civilian airport as well as the main channel for the delivery of humanitarian aid to the victims of the devastating earthquake that hit the area on February 6.

It further warned Israel about the repercussions of its acts of aggression against the Arab country, calling on the international community to take the necessary measures to end the Israeli regime’s crimes.

Early on Tuesday, Israeli aircraft carried out a new strike against the international airport in Aleppo from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, west of the coastal city of Latakia.

Syrian media, quoting a military source, reported that the attack caused only material damage to the runway of Aleppo International Airport, and took the airport out of service.
Syrian media had earlier said that the country’s air defenses intercepted Israeli missiles coming from the direction of the Mediterranean, shooting down a number of them.

The new Israeli strike comes as the international airport in Aleppo is one of the main portals of entry for foreign airplanes carrying humanitarian aid to the victims of the country’s recent devastating earthquake.

Israel frequently violation Syrian sovereignty by carrying out missile attacks on targets inside the country, mostly using the airspace of Lebanon or the occupied territories.

The targets include residential buildings. Military positions especially those of the Hezbollah resistance movement, which has played a key role in helping the Syrian army in its fight against foreign-backed terrorists, are also frequently hit by Israeli strikes.

The Tel Aviv regime has been a main supporter of terrorist groups that have battled the government of President Bashar al-Assad since the foreign-backed militancy erupted in Syria in early 2011.

Syria has repeatedly complained to the UN over Israeli assaults, urging the Security Council to take action against Tel Aviv’s crimes. The calls have, however, fallen on deaf ears.