Israel Takes Responsibility for Rare Airstrikes on Syrian Base Amid Turkish Troop Deployment

In an unusual move, the Israeli Prime Minister's Office officially claimed responsibility overnight for airstrikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria. The strikes occurred between Tuesday and Wednesday and targeted the airbase near Aleppo after Damascus reportedly violated a security status quo by allowing Turkish forces to deploy there. Israel stated that it repeatedly warned Syria against permitting Turkish military presence, viewing it as a direct threat to its security. The Israeli statement emphasized that Israel would not tolerate such threats and welcomed a return to the previous security arrangements.

Turkey responded angrily through President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's office, calling Israel's accusations baseless and accusing Israel of illegal airstrikes that violate Syrian sovereignty and territorial integrity. Concurrently, U.S. Special Envoy for Syria Tom Barrett revealed to Reuters that the Israeli strikes reflected concerns about Turkey potentially increasing its military presence in Syria soon. Barrett noted that Turkey was not warned ahead of the strikes and suggested the need for a conflict prevention mechanism involving Israel, Syria, and Turkey, which the U.S. is actively working to establish.

The airstrikes reportedly damaged the runway and storage facilities at Abu al-Duhur, a strategically important airbase about 70 kilometers from the Turkish border in Idlib province. The attack came hours after a Turkish delegation inspected the airfield for rehabilitation. A senior Israeli official confirmed to Fox News that Israel shared sensitive intelligence with the United States shortly before the strikes, with the information reaching the highest levels of U.S. intelligence agencies.

This development highlights escalating tensions between Israel, Syria, and Turkey, with Israel taking a rare public stance on military action to prevent Turkish military expansion near its borders. The situation remains volatile as diplomatic efforts continue to prevent further clashes in the region.