U.S. envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack warned Tuesday evening that Israeli strikes in Syria, such as the one attributed to Israel earlier Tuesday, could “increase Turkish presence at that base” in the near future. In an interview with Reuters, he said Turkey had not been warned in advance and therefore could have attacked Israel in response. Meanwhile, reports emerged Tuesday evening of artillery fire in the area of a village in Daraa.
“This underscores the need for a deconfliction mechanism involving Israel, Syria and Türkiye. That is something we are actively working on to establish in order to prevent future miscommunication. The priority now is to lower tensions and allow space for a more measured approach,” said Barrack, who also serves as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey. Earlier, he criticized Israel, writing that he was “deeply concerned that the confirmed Israeli airstrikes on Abu al-Duhur Airbase constitute an unnecessary escalation.”
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Al-Sharaa, Netanyahu and Erdogan
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Overnight, the Abu al-Duhur military airport in the eastern countryside of Idlib, Syria, was attacked. According to the Sabereen news agency, runways and storage facilities were targeted by four aircraft, and Syria has blamed Israel for the strikes. According to a Syrian military source and a resident living nearby who spoke to Reuters, there were no casualties in the attack. Sources told Qatar-based Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: “The Israeli airstrikes on the airport came after a Turkish military delegation visited to oversee the rehabilitation of its runway.”
Abu al-Duhur airport is located about 17 miles east of Saraqib, near the village of Abu al-Duhur. It occupies a strategic location between the provinces of Idlib, Hama and Aleppo and is close to the Syrian Desert. It is also considered one of the prominent military bases in northern Syria and was previously under the control of the former regime. Estimates of its size vary. Some sources say it covers about 16 square kilometers, while others estimate its area at about 23 square kilometers. It includes several runways.
Thomas Barrack
(Photo: REUTERS/Emilie Madi)
The strike attributed to Israel may have come against the backdrop of Israeli concerns that its control of the airspace in the area could be compromised after the targeted base underwent significant rehabilitation with Turkish assistance. Israel was deeply concerned about what was being done at the base and its potential consequences. Israel does not want to enter a confrontation, either with the Turks or the Syrians, but it can be assumed that Israel cannot afford to see its air superiority compromised, particularly amid tensions with Iran.
According to Fox News, Israel provided the Americans with intelligence on Syrian efforts to rehabilitate the base. The concern is not only about restoring the runways, but also about the possible deployment of air defense systems that could threaten Israel’s control of the airspace, as well as advanced drones.
Documentation of a strike in Syria
A Turkish delegation visited the base only recently. Israel has previously conveyed messages to Turkey that it would not accept the rebuilding of the Syrian military or any threat to its air superiority.
Our commentator Ron Ben Yishai wrote earlier Tuesday that the strike attributed to Israel was likely carried out for strategic reasons similar to those behind an Israeli strike on the same airfield in April 2025. At the time, Israel decided to draw a line in the sand with Turkey. As Turkish military forces, along with engineers and contractors, made their way to the airfield, the Israeli Air Force bombed the runways and the area around the airfield to signal to Turkey that Israel would not accept its establishing a foothold at a strategic site. If Turkey were also to deploy sophisticated detection and interception systems for aircraft and missiles there, they would severely restrict the Israeli Air Force’s freedom of action in Syrian airspace and, as later became clear, along the air route used to strike western Iran.