• The strikes come amid heightened tensions between Israel and Turkiye over Syria and Ankara’s growing concerns about Israeli attacks on the country
• Israel has warned it will not allow Syria to rebuild military capabilities that could pose a threat, while Damascus has begun rebuilding its armed forces

DUBAI: Eight Israeli airstrikes hit the runway and storage facilities of the Abu Al-Duhur military airfield in northwestern Syria early Tuesday, causing material damage but no casualties, Syria’s state-run Ekhbariya reported, citing a military source.

A security source told AFP that unidentified aircraft struck the out-of-service facility, where Syrian Defense Ministry forces are present. Israel has not claimed responsibility and its military declined to comment.

Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned the targeting of the airfield, calling it an “unjustified” Israeli attack. The ministry called on the international community and Security Council to condemn Israel’s repeated violations.

The US envoy to Syria, Tom Barrack, said the airstrikes were an “unnecessary escalation.”

The strikes came shortly after a Turkish military delegation visited the airfield as part of preliminary efforts to rehabilitate its runways, according to sources cited by The New Arab. The project remains in its early stages.

The timing adds to tensions between Israel and Turkiye over Ankara’s growing role in rebuilding Syria’s military capabilities following the ousting of former President Bashar Assad in late 2024.

The Abu Al-Duhur facility, in Idlib province about 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) from the Turkish border, has been out of service since 2012, according to an AFP security source. It was heavily damaged during Syria’s civil war and is currently under the protection of Syrian Defense Ministry forces.

Since Assad’s ouster, Syria’s new authorities have sought to rebuild the country’s armed forces. Syria conducted air exercises in the north in early August using Russian-made MiG-21 fighter jets, the first such exercises since Assad was removed.

Israeli public broadcaster Kan reported on August 11 that Israeli security officials had detected efforts by Syria to rebuild its air force, including recruiting pilots, conducting flight training and carrying out a first exercise involving fighter aircraft.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said on August 6 that Israel continued to threaten Syria’s security through repeated attacks and called for pressure on Israel to respect Syria’s territorial integrity.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that Israel would not allow steps that strengthen Syria’s military capabilities in ways that could threaten Israel.

Israel has also expanded its military presence in Syria since Assad’s fall, including deploying forces into a UN-patrolled buffer zone separating Israeli and Syrian forces in the Golan Heights. Damascus has repeatedly condemned the incursions as violations of its sovereignty.

Despite the tensions, Israel and Syria’s new authorities have held several rounds of direct talks and agreed to establish an intelligence-sharing mechanism.

– With Agencies