Syrian Airport Bombed: Who Is Responsible For The Attack?

Israel has been accused of bombing Syrian airports and military positions numerous times over the course of the 11-year war in Syria. In October 2023, simultaneous strikes hit airports in Damascus and Aleppo, wounding several people and causing material damage. Israel has rarely acknowledged or discussed such operations, but it has admitted to targeting bases of Iran-allied militant groups, such as Lebanon's Hezbollah. Syrian state media has condemned the raids as a war crime.

Israel's airstrike on Aleppo airport

On 28 August 2023, Israeli airstrikes damaged the only working runway at Aleppo airport in northern Syria, forcing flights to be diverted to Damascus and Latakia. Syrian state media reported that the attack was carried out by the "Israeli enemy" from the direction of the Mediterranean Sea, west of Latakia.

The strikes also targeted weapons depots at the adjacent Nayrab military airport, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. This was the second time in a week that the Aleppo airport had been attacked. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Israeli air raids killed at least three people and damaged the airport for the second time in a week.

On 14 October 2023, Israel launched another airstrike against Aleppo Airport, which the Syrian defence ministry said led to "material damage" and put the airport out of service. This came after simultaneous missile attacks by Israeli forces on the airports in Syria's capital, Damascus, and Aleppo on Thursday, which damaged the runways and put both hubs out of service.

Sources have said that the strikes on Syrian airports are intended to disrupt Iranian supply lines to Syria, where Tehran's influence has grown since it began supporting President Bashar al-Assad in the civil war that started in 2011.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights on Iran-backed fighters

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) is a United Kingdom-based information office that was founded in May 2006. Its stated aim is to document human rights abuses in Syria, with a focus on the Syrian Civil War since 2011. The SOHR has been described as "pro-opposition" and anti-Assad, but it has reported on war crimes committed by all sides of the conflict.

Regarding Iran-backed fighters, the SOHR reported that during an Israeli attack on Aleppo Airport in October 2023, a warehouse in the airport compound belonging to Iran-backed fighters, who are allies of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was hit. This attack put the airport out of service and caused material damage.

The SOHR has also reported on other instances of Israeli attacks on Syrian airports and positions, which are believed to be intended to disrupt Iranian supply lines to Syria. These attacks have resulted in casualties and damage to infrastructure. According to the SOHR, Israel has targeted bases of Iran-allied armed groups, demonstrating its efforts to resist the influence of Iran in the region.

The SOHR's reporting provides valuable insights into the dynamics of the conflict in Syria, particularly regarding the involvement of external powers such as Iran and Israel, and their impact on the civilian population.

Syrian state media on casualties

Syrian state media reported that there were no casualties from the Israeli airstrike on Aleppo airport, which took place in the early hours of Wednesday, 28 December 2024. The attack caused material damage and put the airport out of service. Syrian air defences intercepted and downed some of Israel’s missiles, according to state media.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor, reported that three people were killed in the attack. However, Syrian state media did not mention any casualties.

The airstrike was the second attack on the airport in December 2024, and one of hundreds of strikes on targets inside government-controlled parts of Syria that have been carried out by Israel in recent years. Israel rarely acknowledges or discusses these operations.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the airstrike.

Syrian anti-missile defence systems

The Syrian Arab Air Defence Force (SyAADF or SAADF) is an independent command within the Syrian Armed Forces. It is responsible for protecting Syrian airspace against hostile air attacks.

In 1987, the SyADF was part of the Syrian Army Command and had some Syrian Air Force personnel. At the time, it had approximately 60,000 men organised into 20 brigades with about 95 surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries and two regiments. The SyADF Command also had interceptor aircraft and radar facilities at its disposal.

Since the Syrian Civil War in 2011, the SyADF has been reduced in size, with insurgents seizing surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems and radar sites. Russia has provided the SyADF with more modern systems, including the Buk and Pantsir. In 2018, an unknown number of S-300 systems were delivered to Syria, and in 2021, a large number of Iranian Air Defence systems were delivered: Mersad, Khordad-3, and Khordad-15.

Syria's air defence consists of multiple layers of weapons systems, including the S-300, supplied by Russia in October 2018. Other systems include the Pantsir S-1, S-200, S-125, Buk, Kub, Osa, Strela-10, and SA5.

Syrian air defences have intercepted several Israeli attacks. For example, on 17 March 2015, a US MQ-1 Predator drone was shot down by a Syrian S-125 missile. On 10 February 2018, Syrian Air Defences shot down an Israeli F-16I Sufa jet with an S-200 missile. More recently, in April 2024, Syrian air defences intercepted an Israeli attack in the direction of the Golan Heights.

Israel's concerns about Iran

Israel's primary concern about Iran is the latter's growing influence in Syria, which has shifted the conflict between the two countries from a proxy war into a direct confrontation. Israel has carried out hundreds of attacks on targets inside Syria since 2011, including numerous strikes on airports and military positions. These attacks aim to disrupt Iranian supply lines and prevent the entrenchment of Iranian troops and their proxies, especially Hezbollah, in Syria. Israel's military activity, officially called Operation Chess, has consisted mostly of aerial and missile strikes targeting Iranian and Hezbollah facilities and weapons shipments.

Israel's opposition to Iran's presence in Syria stems from its concern that Iranian influence in the region will increase, threatening Israel's security interests. Israel's defence minister, Avigdor Liberman, has stated that Israel cannot allow a leader like Bashar al-Assad, who is allied with Iran and Hezbollah, to remain in power. According to Liberman, "Keeping Assad in power is not in our security interests. As long as he is in power, Iran and Hezbollah will be in Syria."

Israel has also expressed concern about the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers, fearing that it will lead to the entrenchment of Iran's influence in Syria. Sami Hamdi, a political analyst, said that Israeli strikes on Syria are a warning to Iran that Tel Aviv will resist the new political dynamics of the nuclear deal. He added that the attacks also send a message to al-Assad, warning him of consequences to Syria's infrastructure if it is used to facilitate Iran's reach.

The conflict between Israel and Iran in and around Syria has resulted in numerous casualties and damage to infrastructure on both sides.

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