U.S. special envoy for Syria and ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack said Israel and Turkey came within a step of a direct military confrontation following an Israeli strike on a Syrian airbase close to the Turkish border.
Barrack said the Israeli attack on the Abu al-Duhur military airport in Syria’s Idlib countryside risked triggering a dangerous escalation between the two regional powers, according to Israel’s Channel 15.
Israel carried out eight airstrikes on the airport early Tuesday, targeting its runway and storage facilities, according to Syrian military sources. The strikes caused material damage but no casualties were reported.
Abu al-Duhur lies about 70 kilometres from the Turkish border and had recently undergone rehabilitation work. Reports said a Turkish military delegation had visited the facility only hours before the Israeli attack.
Barrack told Reuters that Turkey had not been warned in advance about the strike. Turkish forces detected Israeli aircraft flying north toward the area, creating the possibility that Ankara could have interpreted the movement as a threat and responded militarily, including by scrambling fighter jets.
The incident highlighted the growing risk of an unintended confrontation as both Turkey and Israel expand their military and security interests inside Syria.
Washington is now working to establish a deconfliction mechanism involving Turkey, Israel and Syria aimed at improving communication, sharing information and preventing future misunderstandings from escalating into direct conflict.
Barrack said he was concerned that such strikes represented an unnecessary escalation and did little to promote regional stability.
Tensions between Ankara and Israel have intensified over their competing security priorities in Syria, raising concerns that military operations carried out without coordination could eventually bring the two countries into direct confrontation.