Advertisement

Syrian news agency backtracks on report of air attack around Damascus airport

The Damascus International Airport is seen in a satellite image retrieved from Google Earth on Dec. 9, 2018.
The Damascus International Airport is seen in a satellite image retrieved from Google Earth on Dec. 9, 2018. Google Earth

The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) issued a report on Sunday saying Syrian air defenses had intercepted enemy targets around Damascus international airport, but later in the day said the attack had not happened.

“Our air defenses intercepted enemy aerial targets in the vicinity of Damascus international airport in southern Damascus,” SANA said in its initial report.

The agency later removed the report from its website. Later still, it quoted a source at the Damascus international airport as saying “there was no attack on the airport and the air traffic is normal.”

READ MORE: Israel begins operation to expose ‘Hezbollah attack tunnels’ from Lebanon

The Syrian Observatory for Human rights, a UK-based war monitor, said however there had been firing near the airport.

“Several explosion sounds were heard in Damascus suburbs … as air defenses were launched” close to the airport, it said.

The Observatory said the nature of the targets was not clear.

Sponsored content

AdChoices