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🇮🇩 Indonesia /Conflict & Security

Israel strikes Syrian base, risking conflict with Turkey

From Republika · () Indonesian

Translated from Indonesian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Israel's airstrike on Syria's Abu al-Duhur airbase risks direct military confrontation with Turkey, according to the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey.
  • The ambassador stated Turkish forces were unaware of the Israeli aircraft's approach, potentially leading them to believe they were under attack.
  • Israel confirmed the strike, asserting Syria violated a status quo agreement by allowing Turkish forces to deploy at the base near Aleppo, which Israel deemed a threat.

An Israeli airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria has raised concerns about a potential military confrontation between Israel and Turkey. Tom Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria, warned that the strike carries "a real risk of rapid escalation into direct military confrontation" with both Syria and Turkey.

a real risk of rapid escalation into direct military confrontation

— Tom BarrackThe U.S. Ambassador to Turkey warned about the potential consequences of Israel's strike on the Syrian airbase.

Barrack told The Jerusalem Post that Turkish forces were not aware of the approaching Israeli aircraft or their destination. This lack of awareness, he explained, could have prompted them to deploy their own fighter jets, mistaking the Israeli planes for an attack. While relieved that there were no casualties and the situation did not worsen, Barrack described the event as "serious and worrying."

Turkish forces did not know about the Israeli aircraft heading to the Syrian base or their destination.

— Tom BarrackThe ambassador highlighted the lack of awareness among Turkish troops, which could have led to misinterpretation.

Israel confirmed its responsibility for the overnight strike, claiming the airbase was intended for Turkish troop deployment. The Prime Minister's Office stated that Syria had violated a "status quo" agreement by permitting Turkish forces at the base near Aleppo, which Israel considered a threat to its security. Israel reiterated its warnings to Syria and asserted it "will not tolerate threats to its security."

they could have been prompted to deploy their own fighter jets because they thought they were being attacked.

— Tom BarrackBarrack explained how the unawareness of Turkish forces might have led to a dangerous escalation.

Ankara, however, strongly condemned Israel's actions. The Turkish government, in a statement quoted by the Anadolu news agency, denounced the "reckless accusations" from the Israeli Prime Minister's Office, calling them an attempt to "legitimize Israel's illegal airstrikes targeting Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity."

The event yesterday was serious and worrying. However, we are relieved that there were no casualties and the situation did not worsen.

— Tom BarrackThe ambassador expressed concern over the incident while acknowledging the absence of casualties.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Republika in Indonesian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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