Israeli strikes hit an air base hours after a Turkish delegation visit, Syrian officials say
Israeli airstrikes hit an air base in northern Syria shortly after a Turkish delegation visited the site, leading to diplomatic tensions. Israel claims the strike was necessary to prevent a breach of security status quo, while Turkey condemned the action as an infringement on Syrian sovereignty.
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Illustrates the complex geopolitical dynamics and military tensions involving Israel, Turkey, and Syria in the Middle East.
A Turkish delegation had visited an air base in northern Syria the day before it was hit by Israeli airstrikes, Syrian officials said.
The Israeli strikes hit the Abu Duhur base early Tuesday (August 18, 2026), hours after the delegation had left, causing damage but no casualties. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said in a statement that Israel had attacked the base because Syria was “on the verge of breaching” an agreed-upon “status quo in security matters” by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there.
Two Syrian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly said the Turkish delegation had visited the air base in the northwestern province of Idlib on Monday (August 17, 2026) to review rehabilitation work underway at the facility.
It was the first confirmation of a Turkish presence at the Abu Duhur base.
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