- A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight will depart for Syria tomorrow.
- The national carrier received a request in the form of a letter from Pakistan’s representative in Damascus.
- Syria claims that Israel’s attack on the airport has caused significant damage and rendered the runways unusable.
A Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight will depart for Syria tomorrow (Monday) on the special orders of Aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique to bring back Pakistanis stuck in the war-torn country as a result of Israel’s bombardment of the Damascus airport.
After receiving a request in the form of a letter from Pakistan’s representative in Damascus, the PIA finalised plans to dispatch a flight to Syria. The letter was addressed to both the PIA CEO and the Pakitan government.
The envoy requested that the national carrier send a jet to Aleppo, Syria, because the airport in Damascus was closed.
According to a statement released by PIA, flights to return the trapped Pakistanis would depart on June 13th (tomorrow).
According to the proposal, in the first phase, Pakistanis in Damascus will be taken by bus to Aleppo, where they will board a PIA flight back to Damascus.
Syria claims that Israel’s attack on the airport has caused significant damage and rendered the runways unusable.
Syria has verified substantial damage the day before, including runway damage at the Damascus International Airport, which had been closed for repairs due to Israeli air attacks.
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The transport ministry announced runways were out of service in a statement.
Since the civil conflict in Syria began in 2011, Israel has launched hundreds of air strikes against its neighbour, hitting government forces as well as allied Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters.
However, similar attacks have rarely resulted in severe aircraft interruptions. Air traffic will be suspended until the repair work is completed and airport security can be assured, according to the government.
“Civil aviation and national enterprises are working… to repair the significant damage at the airport,” the ministry said, adding that the terminal building had also been damaged.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a missile strike early Friday morning hit the airport’s only runway still in use, as well as many other structures. According to the report, an Israeli bombing last year crippled another runway.
“Israeli strikes severely destroyed the runway, control tower, three hangars, warehouses, and reception facilities,” according to the Observatory.
A barrage of missiles was fired from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights at roughly 4:20 a.m. (0120 GMT) on Friday, according to Syrian official media.
Russia, Syria’s ally, denounced “the outrageous Israeli attack on crucial civilian infrastructure.”
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