Strikes hit military airfield in northwest Syria

On Tuesday morning, unidentified aircraft attacked an inactive military airfield in northwest Syria, according to a security source who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity. The Abu Duhur military airport, located in Idlib province, has been out of service since 2012 and is currently guarded by Syrian defence ministry forces. The source did not immediately confirm if any casualties resulted from the strikes.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the airfield was targeted following a recent visit by a Turkish military delegation to the site, as part of their efforts to restore its functionality. Turkey remains a crucial ally to the new authorities in Syria. Neither the Syrian nor Turkish governments have claimed responsibility for the airstrike.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the incident. Israel has carried out numerous airstrikes on Syria since the December 2024 overthrow of former President Bashar al-Assad by Islamist forces, whom they consider to be jihadists. The United States-led coalition fighting the Islamic State group has also conducted strikes on high-ranking jihadists in the northwest.

Following the regime change, Damascus gained control of the Abu Duhur airfield, which had been under the control of Assad's forces since late 2018. Prior to this, rebel and jihadist factions had taken control of large parts of Idlib province three years prior.