Israeli airstrikes hit Syrian airbase, draws condemnation
DAMASCUS/ ANKARA: Israel bombed an airbase in Syria on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, carrying out what appeared to be its first strike on Syrian government assets since March and drawing condemnation from Turkey and criticism from a US envoy who called it an “unnecessary escalation.”
On Tuesday, Israel launched airstrikes against a Syrian airbase, marking its first such strike on Syrian government assets since March. Syrian state media reported that eight airstrikes targeted the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur base. Neither the Israeli military nor the Syrian defense ministry confirmed the strikes, with the latter not responding to inquiries.
The US special presidential envoy for Syria and Iraq, Ambassador Tom Barrack, expressed deep concern over the strikes, calling them an unnecessary escalation that hinders regional stability. The US urged all parties to prioritize logical discourse over military incidents. Syria's Foreign Minister, Assad al-Shibani, urged an end to the attacks, stating that Israel should reassess its position toward Syria, which now faces adversaries beyond Damascus.
The targeted airbase, located about 70 km from the Turkish border, has been inactive since 2013 and has been involved in the 14-year civil war. Israel's strikes on Syria have intensified since Assad's ousting in 2024, primarily targeting government sites in southern and central Syria. Israel, suspicious of Syria's new rulers due to their Islamist roots, has a history of attacking Syria, aiming to curb Iranian influence.
The strikes come amid heightened security tensions between Israel and Turkey, with Ankara accusing Israel of destabilizing Syria. Turkey, a key ally of Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, strongly condemned the attacks, calling for international pressure on Israel to respect Syria's territorial integrity.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
