Aug 18 (Reuters) – Eight Israeli airstrikes hit the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria early on Tuesday, targeting the runway and storage facilities, Syria’s state-run Ekhbariya said, citing a military source.
There were no casualties, according to a military source and a civilian who lives near the base. The Israeli military declined to comment on the strikes while the Syrian defence ministry did not respond.
The base, about 70 km (43.5 miles) from the Turkish border, has been out of service as a dedicated military airfield since 2013 and changed hands several times during Syria’s 14-year civil war between forces loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad and opposition factions.
Since Assad was ousted in late 2024, the base has been used as a training centre for Syria’s new army, according to the military source.
The strikes come amid heightened security tensions between Israel and Turkey and increasingly sharp rhetoric between the two countries over Syria.
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said in an August 6 speech that Israel continued to threaten Syria’s security through its repeated attacks, calling for pressure on Israel to respect Syria’s territorial integrity.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz, for his part, has issued direct warnings to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, saying Israel would not allow steps that strengthened Syria’s military capabilities in ways that could pose a threat to Israel.
Syria conducted air exercises in the north of the country in early August using Russian-made MiG-21 fighter jets, the first such exercises since Assad’s ouster.
Israel’s Kan public broadcaster reported on August 11 that Israeli security officials had detected signs that Syria was accelerating efforts to rebuild its air force, including the recruitment of new pilots, flight training and a first exercise involving fighter aircraft.
Kan quoted an Israeli security source as saying Israel was closely monitoring the developments and had shared its concerns with the United States.
(Reporting by Feras Dalatey; Writing by Tala Ramadan; Editing by Michael Georgy and Saad Sayeed)
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