Syria’s Damascus International Airport temporarily suspends all flights

Damascus International Airport has canceled the arrival and departure of all types of aircraft until December 18.

"All flights to and from Damascus Airport are suspended until December 18, 2024," the airport said, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media. 

The airport operations may resume at 19:00 (GMT+3) on December 18. A similar message was issued by Aleppo International Airport, which will remain closed to both arrivals and departures until the evening of December 17.

Earlier, Syrian radio station Sham FM reported that all staff had been evacuated from Damascus Airport. This came amid reports of militants entering the city. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights further clarified that government forces had also left the capital's airport.

On December 7, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated that armed individuals had infiltrated the buffer zone along the ceasefire line from the Syrian side. Following the collapse of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s regime and the capture of Damascus by Islamist rebels on December 8, the IDF decided to tighten restrictions on several cities near the Syrian border. In particular, checkpoints will be set up around the Golan Heights. On the same day, Israel launched airstrikes on targets in the Aleppo province. Israeli politicians are urging the government to take measures to prevent jihadists’ presence along the border.

By Naila Huseynova