Did Israel strike a Syrian airbase to block Turkey’s military ambitions?

Syria accused Israel of carrying out eight strikes against the runway of the Abu Duhur military airfield in Idlib on 18 August, causing material damage but no reported casualties. The strikes came after a Turkish military delegation visited the airfield as part of efforts to reactivate it.

Muaz Al Abdullah, Middle East Research Manager at ACLED, said:

“The recent Israeli airstrikes against Syrian military assets represent a continuation of Israel’s strategy to keep the Syrian military weak and prevent Damascus from rebuilding its conventional military capabilities post-Assad. 

“According to ACLED data, this operational wave ends a multi-month pause in Israeli airstrikes in Syria, which had been driven by intense diplomatic backchannels and heavy US pressure on Israel to preserve the stability of Syria's transition. It is also the first time Israel has ever targeted this exact location according to ACLED data. This development demonstrates that Israel is no longer just seeking to secure its northern borders and block Syrian military deployments in the southwest: its strategic goals have expanded to completely preventing Syria from acquiring or restoring any meaningful strategic military capabilities.

“It is highly likely these airstrikes specifically aimed to prevent Turkey from utilizing the airbase to anchor its influence. Crucially, the attack occurred just hours after a Turkish military delegation visited the airfield to inspect plans for rehabilitating the runways, signalling that Israel used the strike as a direct geopolitical warning to Ankara.

"This wasn't the first time Israeli forces targeted military positions Turkey showed interest in.  In April 2025, Israel launched airstrikes on the T4 military airbase in Homs province after Turkey began talks to establish an air-base and air defenses there, a move analysts interpreted as a direct Israeli message aimed at preventing Ankara from establishing a military position that would threaten Israeli air superiority deep inside Syrian territory. The strike coincided with Turkish moves to activate its presence at the base through delegation visits and equipment transfers, a scenario resembling the current Abu al-Duhur incident.”