DAMASCUS, Syria: Eight Israeli airstrikes hit the runway and storage facilities at Abu al-Duhur airbase in northwestern Syria early on Tuesday, causing material damage, Syrian state media reported, as the US envoy for Syria and Iraq described the attack as an “unnecessary escalation”.
Syria’s state-run Ekhbariya, citing a military source, said the strikes targeted the runway and storage facilities at the airbase.
The Israeli military declined to comment on the strikes, according to Reuters.
US Special Presidential Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack said the United States was “deeply concerned” about the strikes.
“We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability,” Barrack said on X.
“The United States continues to believe that restraint and engagement offer the more constructive course,” he added, urging all sides to prioritise dialogue over further military incidents.
We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not advance regional stability.
The Al-Sharra government has neither adopted a predatory posture nor maintained proxy forces. It has, in fact,…
— Ambassador Tom Barrack (@USAMBTurkiye) August 18, 2026
Syria condemns Israeli strikes
Syria’s Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, describing the targeting of the airbase as “unjustified” and calling on the international community and the UN Security Council to condemn what it described as repeated Israeli violations.
Statement Issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic pic.twitter.com/K8r58jWEAu
— وزارة الخارجية والمغتربين السورية (@syrianmofaex) August 18, 2026
A security source told AFP that unidentified aircraft had struck the facility, where Syrian Defence Ministry forces are present.
The strikes came shortly after a Turkish military delegation visited the airbase as part of preliminary efforts to rehabilitate its runways, according to sources cited by The New Arab.
The timing has added to growing tensions between Israel and Turkiye over Ankara’s expanding role in rebuilding Syria’s military and state institutions following the ousting of former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
Turkiye has been helping train Syria’s new army and has provided support for rebuilding state institutions and infrastructure.
The base, about 70 kilometres from the Turkish border, has been out of service as a dedicated military airfield since 2013.
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, cited by Reuters.
In the months after Assad was toppled, Israel seized ground in southwest Syria and struck much of the Syrian military’s heavy weapons and equipment.
