Israeli strikes hit Syria's Abu Duhur base as US flags escalation

Damascus,UPDATED: Aug 18, 2026 19:50 IST

Israeli airstrikes on the Abu Duhur air base in north-west Syria early Tuesday caused material damage but no casualties, according to Syrian state TV and the Foreign Ministry. The strikes hit the base in Idlib province, while Syria condemned the attack as an assault on its sovereignty.

There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military, and Turkish officials did not respond at once to requests for comment. The US, however, voiced concern, with Ambassador to Turkiye and Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack saying the strikes were "an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability".

Syrian state TV said eight strikes hit the runway of the Abu Duhur air base. It did not give further details. In a brief statement, Syria's Foreign Ministry described the attack as an "unjustified aggression and a flagrant violation of Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said foreign fighters had been staying at the base before they were recently asked to leave. It added that Turkiye, which it described as a main backer of Syria's government, had been rehabilitating the air base after it had been out of service for years during Syria's conflict, which has left nearly half a million people dead.

Posting on X, Barrack said Washington is "deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes" on the Abu Duhur air base amount to "an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability". He said the government of Syria's Interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa has neither "adopted a predatory posture nor maintained proxy forces" and has repeatedly indicated that it prefers de-escalation with Israel. Barrack added that the United States has hosted discussions in the past, and will continue to do so, to encourage diplomacy.

Tensions between Israel and Turkiye over Syria have been rising since the fall of Bashar Assad's government in December 2024, when insurgents entered Damascus. Since then, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes across Syria, mainly targeting Syrian army assets to keep them out of the hands of Assad's successors. Last year, Israeli drone strikes on a southern suburb of Damascus killed eight soldiers and wounded others. The new authorities in Damascus have said they do not want a conflict with Israel, but Israel has remained suspicious of the government led by former Islamist insurgents.

The latest strike on Abu Duhur underlines the continuing strain around Syria, with Damascus condemning the attack, Washington calling for diplomacy, and tensions involving Israel and Turkiye still on the rise.

With PTI Inputs

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