Syria has condemned a series of Israeli air strikes on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in eastern Idlib province, describing the attack as an unjustified act of aggression and a serious escalation that threatens regional stability.
A Syrian military source said Israeli aircraft carried out eight strikes on the runway of the airbase before dawn on Tuesday, 18 August. The attack caused material damage to the facility but no casualties were reported.
In a statement, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said the strikes constituted a “flagrant violation” of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and accused Israel of seeking to undermine Damascus’s efforts to stabilise the country and avoid further regional escalation.
The ministry said Israeli attacks on Syrian territory had continued since the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s government on 8 December 2024, despite what it described as the new Syrian authorities’ policy of restraint.
“The continuation of these Israeli attacks, at a time when the Syrian state is exercising restraint and working to consolidate stability and avoid escalation, once again reveals attempts by the Israeli occupation to undermine these efforts and drag the region towards further tension and instability,” the statement said.
Damascus held Israel responsible for the latest escalation and called on the UN Security Council and the wider international community to condemn the strikes and take a firmer position against repeated violations of Syrian sovereignty. It added that Syria would continue to defend its national rights and interests through means permitted under international law.
The attack also drew unusually pointed criticism from Washington. US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack said he was “deeply concerned” by the Israeli strikes and described them as an unnecessary escalation that did not contribute to regional stability.
Barrack said the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa had not adopted a hostile posture towards Israel and had repeatedly shown a preference for de-escalation. He added that Washington had hosted discussions intended to encourage a diplomatic solution between Syria and Israel and would continue facilitating dialogue between the two sides.
The remarks highlighted growing unease over Israeli military action in Syria at a time when Washington has been encouraging direct contacts between Damascus and Israel.
Several regional governments also condemned the strikes.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its support for Syria and said continued Israeli violations of the sovereignty of regional states reflected a dangerous attempt to impose new realities by force. Saudi Arabia denounced what it called a flagrant attack and urged the international community to put an end to Israeli violations of international law.
Jordan called on the international community to compel Israel to halt what it described as illegal and provocative attacks on Syria, while Türkiye said Israel was continuing to target Syrian infrastructure and military capabilities in violation of the country’s territorial integrity.
Egypt also condemned the strikes, warning that continued Israeli attacks on Syrian territory risked undermining stability in both Syria and the wider region.
According to Al Jazeera correspondent Suhaib al-Khalaf, the Israeli aircraft entered Syrian airspace through Lebanon before striking the outskirts of Abu al-Duhur airbase, which lies east of Idlib near the boundary with Aleppo province.
The base was heavily damaged during the Syrian war. Opposition forces captured it from government troops in 2015 after prolonged fighting. Assad’s forces later regained control of the site, but the airport never fully returned to operational service because of the extensive destruction sustained during the conflict.
Israel dramatically intensified attacks on Syrian military positions following Assad’s fall in December 2024, targeting sites around Damascus, the Syrian coast and Homs province, as well as military airports, weapons depots and ammunition stores. The pace of those strikes later eased, making Tuesday’s attack particularly significant amid continuing diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions between Damascus and Israel.
The latest raid is likely to add pressure to those efforts, particularly after Washington publicly characterised the attack as an unnecessary escalation.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
The post Syria Condemns Israeli Strikes on Idlib Airbase as US Envoy Warns Against Escalation first appeared on The Syrian Observer.
