The Prime Minister's Office said Tuesday night that Syria was "on the verge of breaching" the agreed security status quo by hosting Turkish troops at the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Idlib, and that Israel had issued multiple warnings before carrying out the strike. The statement confirmed Israel was behind the attack on the base.
The Prime Minister's Office released additional details Wednesday night regarding the Israeli strike on the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in Idlib, northwestern Syria. The statement, which confirmed Israel's responsibility for the attack, said Syria was "on the verge of breaching" the agreed security status quo by hosting Turkish troops at the base and that Israel had warned Damascus multiple times before carrying out the strike.
The PMO had already confirmed the strike earlier Tuesday night, as The Zioneer reported at 23:27 Jerusalem, stating that Israel acted after Turkey was permitted to deploy forces at an air base near Aleppo — a move Israel said violated the security status quo. The new statement identifies the target specifically as the Abu al-Duhur airbase and elaborates on the rationale, asserting that Syria risked a breach by permitting the Turkish presence.
The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday at 11:28 Jerusalem that the strike destroyed runways at the base, which lies approximately 70 km from the Turkish border, and that Syria and Turkey had not responded to the incident. As of Wednesday night, both countries have remained silent on the strike.
The development comes amid heightened tensions between Israel and Turkey over Syria. As The Zioneer reported on June 29, Turkey condemned Israel following clashes in southern Syria and warned of military consequences. The 1974 Disengagement Agreement between Israel and Syria, which has governed the separation of forces in the Golan Heights, forms the backdrop of Israel's position that any foreign military presence in Syrian territory that threatens its security violates the status quo.
It remains unclear whether Syria or Turkey will issue official responses to the strike or take any further action in response to Israel's confirmation and justification.
5 developments
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