Syria confirms Israeli strikes shut down country's major airports

Israeli strikes at have damaged runways and the Damascus and Aleppo airports in Syria and diverted air traffic away from the country's primary hubs, state media announced on Thursday.

Israel first shelled Syrian targets on Tuesday in response to cross-border strikes on its own territory. The fire exchanges come as part of a broader flare up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the wake of a major Hamas raid on Israel.

Both airports are home to key military installations as well as civil ports, according to the BBC. A military official told the outlet that the strikes "damaged landing strips in the two airports, putting them out of service." The source further insisted that the Israeli strikes were part of effort to distract the international community from its retaliatory strikes on the Gaza Strip.

The Syrian government does not recognize Israel and is currently contending with domestic rebels as part of the country's civil war, which has raged since 2011. The regime, however, maintains close ties with Iran, which supports both Hamas and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah. Iranian supplies for both groups often move through the country.

The strikes comes as the Iranian foreign minister is expected to visit Syria as part of a broader tour of the region.

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.