ISTANBUL

Syria’s General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport said late Wednesday that a recently commissioned radar at Damascus International Airport has no military function and is intended solely for civilian use.

Omar Hosari, the head of the authority, confirmed in a statement on US social media that "the radar recently commissioned at Damascus International Airport is a purely civil radar, dedicated exclusively to civil air navigation and air traffic management purposes."

The statement noted that the radar operates under "the full and direct authority" of the General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport "in accordance with national laws and internationally recognized standards."

"The Authority clarifies that this radar forms part of the ongoing modernization of civil aviation infrastructure, aimed at enhancing air safety and improving the efficiency of airspace management. It has no military function or non-civil application whatsoever," it added.

The statement further reiterated its commitment to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation and to the standards and recommended practices issued by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).

It also rejected "any attempt to politicize or militarize civil aviation infrastructure."

The statement came amid claims in Israeli media that the new radar posed a “major challenge to Israeli fighter jets.”