Israel Says Syrian Air Base Strike Was Intended To Block Turkey's Planned Troop Deployment

Israel carried out strikes on an air base in northwestern Syria early Tuesday, saying the operation was intended to prevent Turkish troops from deploying at the facility. The attack has further highlighted tensions involving Israel, Turkey and the Syrian government, with the three countries pursuing competing security and strategic interests in Syria. Syrian and Turkish authorities condemned the Israeli action, while Israel said it acted after Syria moved towards changing an agreed security arrangement. Eight strikes hit the runway of the Abu Duhur air base in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, causing damage but no casualties, Syrian state television reported.

The attack targeted the facility as Israel sought to prevent what it described as a potentially threatening Turkish military presence. The strikes come as Turkey, which maintains close relations with the Syrian government, continues to provide assistance to Syria's military. Israel and Turkey have increasingly tense relations, particularly over their competing interests in neighbouring Syria. Ankara has maintained close ties with the Syrian authorities and has supported efforts to strengthen the country's military capabilities, while Israel has sought to prevent developments in Syria that it considers a threat to its security. The latest Israeli operation reflects the broader rivalry between the two countries over influence and military activity inside Syria.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel launched the attack because Syria had been "on the verge of breaching" an agreed "status quo in security matters" by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the air base. Israel said it had repeatedly warned the Syrian government that such a deployment would pose a threat to Israeli security, but that Damascus had ignored those warnings. The Israeli government therefore presented the strikes as a preventive action intended to stop the deployment from taking place. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani condemned the attack during remarks to reporters in Damascus. He described the strikes as an "unjustified provocation" and a violation of Syrian sovereignty, while warning that the action posed a direct threat to regional and global stability.

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Damascus has consistently opposed Israeli military operations on Syrian territory, arguing that such attacks violate its sovereignty and risk further destabilising the region. Turkey also condemned the Israeli strikes. In a statement, the Turkish Foreign Ministry called on the international community to take what it described as a more decisive position against Israel's actions in Syria. Ankara urged international actors to work towards ending what it called Israel's escalating aggression and demanded accountability for actions that it said disregard international law.

The dispute over Abu Duhur reflects the increasingly complicated security environment in Syria, where regional powers continue to compete for influence following years of conflict. Turkey's close relationship with the Syrian government and its military assistance have raised concerns in Israel, while Ankara has criticised Israeli military actions in Syria. Both countries have sought to protect their respective interests, creating the potential for further confrontation despite their efforts to avoid a direct conflict.

The latest strikes are therefore likely to increase diplomatic tensions between Israel and Turkey while adding another layer to Syria's security challenges. Israel has made clear that it intends to prevent military developments in neighbouring Syria that it considers threatening, while Syria and Turkey have rejected such interventions as violations of Syrian sovereignty. The competing positions leave the issue of foreign military deployments in Syria as a potential source of further regional friction.

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