US Syria envoy says Israeli strikes on Syrian base 'unnecessary escalation'

On Tuesday morning, unidentified aircraft targeted an out-of-service military airfield in northwest Syria, according to a security source speaking to AFP. The Abu Duhur military airport, located in Idlib province, has been dormant since 2012 and is now under the protection of Syrian defense ministry forces. The source did not immediately provide details on any casualties resulting from the strikes.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the attacks occurred following a visit by a Turkish military delegation to the airfield in recent days, as part of initiatives to revitalize the facility. Turkey, a key ally of the new authorities in Damascus, has not officially attributed responsibility for the strikes.

No side has made a claim regarding the airfield attacks, which have seen considerable damage during Syria's civil war. The Israeli military declined to comment when contacted by AFP regarding the incident. Israel has carried out numerous strikes on Syrian targets since the December 2024 overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, who was replaced by Islamist forces the regime views as jihadists.

The United States-led coalition against the Islamic State group has previously targeted senior jihadist figures in northwest Syria. Syria now operates under the umbrella of this coalition. Upon assuming power, the new authorities in Damascus reasserted control over the Abu Duhur airfield, a site that had been under Assad's control since late 2018. Prior to this, rebel and jihadist armed factions controlled the area for three years following their capture of vast portions of Idlib province.