Israeli Airstrikes Target Abu Al Duhur Military Airfield in Syria's Idlib, State TV Reports

Syrian state TV reported that Israeli warplanes carried out eight air strikes at dawn on Tuesday targeting the runway of Abu Al Duhur military airfield in the eastern Idlib countryside. The attacks resulted in material damage to airbase infrastructure, though no casualties were reported, while the Israeli military offered no immediate comment on the reported assault.

Following the fall of former Syrian despot Bashar Al Assad's regime to rebel forces advancing under current President Ahmad Al Shara's leadership in December 2024, the Israeli military expanded its operations in Syria under the guise of targeting weapons and missile depots of the previous regime. Israeli troops subsequently advanced into a demilitarised zone inside southern Syria, including Mount Hermon overlooking the capital Damascus, alongside launching multiple strikes and seizing several individuals within the country.

Israel has also intervened in what it describes as missions to protect ethnic minority Druze in south-west Syria, though analysts have cast doubt on these intentions. In March, Israel reported conducting strikes on Syrian government infrastructure sites in response to attacks against the Druze in Sweida. Syria's Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the action as a “blatant violation” of international law and an assault on its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Furthermore, Israel has sought to counter growing Turkish influence in Syria, as Ankara and Damascus previously signed agreements establishing a free zone in Idlib province. Meanwhile, Mr Al Shara stated that his country aims to reach a security agreement with Israel, noting that such a deal could pave the way for comprehensive peace between the neighbouring nations without compromising Syria's rightful claim to the Golan Heights, which Israel captured from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War and subsequently annexed in 1981.