Israel carried out eight airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, targeting the runway and storage facilities, according to Syrian state media. The strikes drew condemnation from Turkey and criticism from the US special envoy for Syria, who described them as an “unnecessary escalation”.

Syria’s state-run Ekhbariya television, citing a military source, reported that the strikes hit the airbase near Aleppo. A separate military source and a civilian living near the facility said there were no casualties.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the strikes, while Syria’s Defence Ministry did not immediately respond.

Turkey condemns Israeli strikes

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry said the strikes violated Syria’s territorial unity and integrity and called for stronger international action against Israel.

“We call on the international community to take a more decisive stance to end Israel’s escalating aggression against Syria,” the ministry said.

The strikes appeared to be Israel’s first attack on Syrian government assets since March.

Netanyahu office cites security concerns

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office later said Syria had been on the “verge” of violating a security “status quo” agreed with Israel by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the airbase.

“Israel repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israel’s security. Syria chose to ignore these warnings,” Netanyahu’s office said.

“Israel will not tolerate threats to its security,” it added, while saying it would welcome a return to the status quo.

Turkey’s statement did not confirm whether its troops were deployed at the Syrian base.

US envoy calls strikes ‘unnecessary escalation’

Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria and Iraq, said Washington was “deeply concerned” about the Israeli strikes.

He described the attack on Abu al-Duhur as an “unnecessary escalation” that did not advance regional stability.

“The United States continues to believe that restraint and engagement offer the more constructive course,” Barrack said, urging all parties to prioritise dialogue over further military incidents.

Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani also called for an end to the attacks, saying Israel should reconsider its approach towards Syria.

“These attacks don’t have security justifications,” Shibani said, adding that Damascus would continue diplomatic efforts to persuade Israel to halt its strikes.

Why the Abu al-Duhur base matters

The Abu al-Duhur airbase is located about 70 kilometres (43.5 miles) east of the Turkish border. It has been out of service as a dedicated military airfield since 2013 and changed hands several times during Syria’s 14-year civil war.

Israel has repeatedly carried out strikes against Syrian forces since former President Bashar al-Assad was ousted in 2024, with most recent attacks focused on government sites in southern and central Syria.

Israel has expressed deep suspicion of Syria’s new Islamist-rooted leadership and has said it will not tolerate an Islamist military presence near its border.

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa said in July that his government was seeking a security agreement with Israel.

Following Assad’s ouster, Israel seized territory in southwestern Syria and carried out strikes targeting Syrian military equipment and heavy weapons.

Israel-Turkey tensions rise

The latest strikes come amid growing tensions between Israel and Turkey over Syria.

Ankara has accused Israel of seeking to destabilise Syria and undermine its new administration. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said earlier this month that Israel continued to threaten Syria’s security through repeated attacks and called for international pressure on Israel to respect Syria’s territorial integrity.

Turkey has emerged as one of Sharaa’s key allies, supporting efforts to rebuild Syria’s military, state institutions and infrastructure while providing diplomatic and military assistance.

Turkey and Israel established a communication channel last year to reduce the risk of military incidents in Syria, where both countries have operated.