Syria suspends Damascus airport flights after Israel strike

Damascus (Syria): Syria has suspended all flights to and from Damascus International Airport after an Israeli airstrike on Friday hit an area close to the facility, a pro-government newspaper reported.

Al-Watan said the strike left the runway damaged, without giving further details about the attack.

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.

State news agency SANA said the Ministry of Transportation confirmed that all flights have been suspended because some technical equipment stopped functioning at the airport." It did not mention a strike.

The private Sham Wings airlines said it is diverting all its flights from Damascus to the Aleppo International Airport in the country's north. It added that all passengers will be shuttled by buses between the two cities for free.