Israeli airstrikes on Syrian base raise concerns over regional stability
The U.S. special envoy for Syria stated that Israeli airstrikes on a military airbase in northwestern Syria constitute an “unnecessary escalation” that does not advance regional stability, reports BritPanorama.
In a statement on X, Ambassador Tom Barrack expressed deep concern regarding the attacks and urged all parties to prioritize “logical discourse” over further military incidents.
According to Barrack, the government of Syria’s Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has neither “adopted a predatory posture nor maintained proxy forces” but has consistently signalled a preference for de-escalation with Israel.
He noted that the U.S. has hosted discussions in the past to promote “diplomatic cadence over kinetic frustration” for both nations and intends to continue this approach in the future.
The strikes early Tuesday reportedly caused material damage without inflicting any casualties, according to Syrian state TV.
State TV indicated that eight strikes hit the runway of the Abu Duhur air base in the northwestern province of Idlib, though no further details were provided.
There was no comment from the Israeli military regarding the attack, and Turkish officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, noted that foreign fighters had previously been stationed at the base but were asked to leave recently.
The Observatory added that Turkey, a main backer of Syria’s government, has been rehabilitating the air base, which had been out of service for years amid Syria’s prolonged conflict that has resulted in nearly half a million deaths.
Since the fall of Bashar Assad’s government in December 2024, when insurgents seized power in Damascus, tensions between Israel and Turkey regarding Syria have escalated.
Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes across Syria following Assad’s fall, primarily targeting assets of the Syrian army to prevent them from falling into the hands of his successors.
Last year, Israeli drone strikes on a southern suburb of Damascus resulted in the deaths of eight soldiers and injuries to others.
The new authorities in Damascus have expressed a desire to avoid conflict with Israel, yet Israel remains suspicious of the government composed of former Islamist insurgents.
