Israeli airstrikes hit Syrian airbase, US envoy concerned over escalation

(Reuters)

DAMASCUS, Aug 18 – Eight Israeli ​airstrikes hit an airbase in northwestern Syria early on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, in what the U.S. envoy for ‌the region called an “unnecessary escalation”.

Syria state-run Ekhbariya, citing a military source, said the attack struck the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur base, while a separate military source and a civilian who lives near the base said there were no casualties. The Israeli military declined to comment on the strikes while the Syrian defence ministry ​did not respond.

“We are deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation that does not ​advance regional stability,” Ambassador Tom Barrack, the U.S. special presidential envoy for Syria and Iraq, said on X.

“The ⁠United States continues to believe that restraint and engagement offer the more constructive course. We encourage all parties to prioritize logical discourse over further ​military incidents,” he added.

The base, about 70 km (43.5 miles) from the Turkish border, has been out of service as a dedicated military airfield since 2013 ​and changed hands several times during Syria’s 14-year civil war between forces loyal to former President Bashar al-Assad and opposition factions.