A military airport in northwestern Syria was struck by fighter jets in an attack that Syrian state television attributed to the Israeli military. The targeted base is reportedly being rebuilt by Turkey, raising speculation that the strike was intended to check Ankara's growing military footprint in the country.
The runway at Abu al-Zuhur military airport in Idlib province, northwestern Syria, near the Turkish border, came under attack in the early hours of Tuesday local time, according to AP, AFP and other news agencies.
Syrian state television, citing a military source, said Israeli forces carried out eight airstrikes on the airport's runway. No casualties were reported, though the attack caused material damage, including to some facilities.
Abu al-Zuhur military airport has been out of service since 2012 and is currently garrisoned by Syrian Ministry of National Defense troops.
Turkey, a key backer of the Syrian government, has recently been rebuilding the base, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group. A Turkish delegation is also said to have visited the airport just days before the strike.
The Israeli military declined to comment when asked about the strikes. Turkish authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment from AP and AFP.
Israel has long been wary of Turkey expanding its military influence in Syria and has previously carried out strikes believed to be aimed at preventing Ankara from bolstering the new Syrian government's air power.
Analysts say that if the attack is confirmed as Israeli, it would signal an intent to curb Turkey's efforts to expand its influence in Syria by targeting a military facility Ankara is in the process of rebuilding.
If Israel is confirmed as the perpetrator, it would mark the first time the Israeli air force has struck Syria in roughly five months, since March.
In March, the Israeli military said it struck military bases in southern Syria in retaliation for an attack on Druze civilians in the Sweida region. Last July, Israel also bombed the headquarters of the Syrian army's general staff in the capital Damascus, saying it was responding to an attack targeting the Druze community.
Meanwhile, three people were killed Tuesday when a hydrogen tank exploded at the Baniyas thermal power plant in the western Syrian province of Tartus. The plant said the blast occurred while workers were replacing a valve on the hydrogen tank during maintenance.
sjy@heraldcorp.com
