Three killed in Israeli strikes on Syria airport

BEIRUT — Israeli air strikes have killed at least three people and damaged Aleppo airport in northern Syria for the second time in a week, a war monitor said Wednesday.

The strikes carried out on Tuesday evening caused damage to the main runway of Syria's second largest airport, taking it out of service, the state news agency SANA reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based group that monitors the conflict, said among the targets of the strikes was a warehouse in the airport compound used by Iran-affiliated militia.

"Three people were killed and five were wounded," the group said, adding that a total of six missiles were fired.

The identities and nationalities of those killed could not be immediately confirmed.

Israel rarely comments on the strikes it carries out against Iranian and allied targets in Syria.

Iranian forces and Shiite militia groups it controls have a significant military presence across Syria. 

Israeli strikes had already caused some damage to Aleppo airport on August 31.

Syria’s private Cham Wings airline announced shortly after Tuesday’s strikes that its flights to and from Aleppo would be re-routed to the capital Damascus, around 300 kilometres to the south.