JERUSALEM/ANKARA, Aug. 19 — Israel acknowledged on Tuesday night that it bombed an airbase in Syria earlier in the day, saying the attack was carried out because Syria enabled Turkish forces to deploy at the base.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that Israel and Syria “have agreed to maintain the status quo on security matters,” while Syria “was about to violate (the agreement) by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at an air force base near Aleppo.”
The office said Israel had repeatedly warned Syria that such a deployment would “pose a threat” to Israel’s security, adding that Israel will not tolerate such threats and will “welcome a return to the status quo.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Syria’s foreign affairs authority said in a statement that the Israeli strikes on the airbase constituted an “unjustified act of aggression” and a “flagrant violation” of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Later on, the Turkish Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the Israeli airstrikes, describing the strikes as violations of Syria’s territorial integrity and unity.
Syrian state-run Al-Ikhbariya TV reported, citing a military source, that Israeli warplanes carried out eight airstrikes early Tuesday on the runway of the Abu al-Duhur military airport in Idlib province in northwestern Syria, causing material damage but no casualties.
A major Syrian airbase, the Abu al-Duhur military airport is situated near routes linking parts of Idlib, Aleppo and Hama provinces. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
