Israel Strikes Airbase in Northwest Syria Amid Concerns Over Turkish Deployment

Israel launched air strikes against an airbase in northwest Syria in the early hours of Tuesday. Israel is concerned the strikes were intended to prevent the deployment of Turkish forces at the site. It is widely known that Turkey, which maintains close relations with the Syrian government, has frequently clashed with Israel. The two sides compete with one another and seek to limit each other’s influence in neighbouring Syria. According to state television reports, at least eight strikes hit the runway of the Abu Duhur airbase in Idlib province, northwest Syria. “The strikes caused damage but no casualties,” the report stated. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani told journalists in Damascus that Syria condemned the ‘Israeli aggression’. He said the attack was an unjustifiable provocation. The strikes were also described as a violation of Syrian sovereignty and a direct threat to regional and global stability.