RIYADH: Saudi Arabia strongly condemned Israeli airstrikes on a military airbase in northwestern Syria on Tuesday, calling the attack a “flagrant violation” of international law and Syrian sovereignty.
“The Kingdom stresses its rejection of this blatant attack,” the Saudi foreign ministry said, renewing its call for the international community to put an end to Israeli violations of international laws and norms.
Saudi Arabia also reiterated its solidarity with Syria and support for efforts to safeguard the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity and ensure security and stability for the Syrian people.
Syrian state television reported that Israel carried out eight airstrikes on Abu Al-Duhur airbase in Idlib province early on Tuesday, hitting the runway and storage facilities and causing material damage. No casualties were reported.
The attack also drew unusually strong criticism from Washington, with US envoy to Syria Tom Barrack saying the US was “deeply concerned” by the confirmed Israeli strikes.
Barrack called the attack an “unnecessary escalation” that did not advance regional stability and called for restraint and dialogue. He noted that the government of Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa had repeatedly signaled a preference for de-escalation with Israel.
Syria's Foreign Ministry similarly condemned the strikes as an unjustified act of aggression and a violation of the country's sovereignty.
Tuesday's attack was the first reported Israeli strike on Syrian government military assets since March, according to Reuters.
Abu Al-Duhur had been out of service for years but has recently been undergoing rehabilitation. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Turkiye had been involved in work to rehabilitate the base, while Reuters reported that Israel has raised concerns with Washington over Syrian efforts to rebuild its air force.
Israel has carried out repeated strikes inside Syria since Assad's fall and moved forces into the UN-patrolled buffer zone separating the two countries. The new authorities in Damascus have said they do not seek confrontation with Israel, while Israeli officials have remained wary of the new government and its efforts to rebuild Syrian military capabilities
