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The United States has issued a rare rebuke of Israel after reports emerged it struck a Syrian military airbase near the Turkish border, calling the attack an “unnecessary escalation”.<\/b><\/p>\n
Eight airstrikes hit the Abu Duhur airport runway and storage facility on Tuesday, according to Syrian state TV, although there were no reports of injuries. <\/p>\n
Israel, while not commenting on the strikes directly, said Syria “was on the verge of breaching” the security status quo, accusing Damascus of allowing Turkish troops to deploy to the airbase.<\/p>\n
Syria and Turkey blamed the Israeli military for the attacks that they said threaten to escalate tensions in the region.<\/p>\n
Tom Barrack, the US ambassador in Turkey, who was also appointed as Donald Trump’s special envoy for Syria and Iraq, criticised the attacks in a statement posted on social media.<\/p>\n
“We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability,” Barrack wrote on X.<\/p>\n
The office of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu published a statement: “Israel and Syria agreed to a status quo in security matters, which Syria was on the verge of breaching by permitting Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.”<\/p>\n
Syria’s foreign ministry called the attacks “an unjustified act of aggression” imperilling regional “security and stability”.<\/p>\n
Turkey, meanwhile, did not confirm whether any of its troops moved to the Abu Duhur airbase, which sits 70km from the Turkish border. However, Ankara rejected Israel’s suggestion that it posed a threat.<\/p>\n
“The frivolous allegations put forward by the Israeli Prime Minister’s office aim to legitimize Israel’s unlawful airstrikes targeting Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Turkey’s Communications Directorate said in a statement quoted by the Anadolu state news agency.<\/p>\n
Abu Duhur has been out of service as a dedicated military airfield since 2013. Rebel forces seized control of the base as they swept through the country<\/a> in December 2024. <\/p>\n Syria has been trying to rebuild its military facilities that were damaged during the blitz offensive that saw Bashar al-Assad’s government overthrown within two weeks. <\/p>\n The Turkish military has provided assistance to Syria since the overthrow of Assad, while Israel continues to view both countries with deep suspicion.<\/p>\n Israel has carried out airstrikes<\/a> on parts of central and southern Syria since Al-Sharaa came to power, with the latest strikes being the most significant since March. <\/p>\n Barrack said that Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa<\/a>, who led the rebel forces against Assad, “has neither adopted not maintained proxy forces” and “repeatedly indicated a preference for de-escalation with Israel”.<\/p>\n The US would continue to offer to host diplomatic discussions between both sides to address “kinetic frustrations”, Barrack added.<\/p>\n Al-Sharaa has forged closer ties with the west since coming to power, particularly the US \u2013 signified when he became the first Syrian leader to visit the White House<\/a> in November last year.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n