Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani has rejected Israel’s justification for striking a Syrian airbase this week, saying Damascus had already informed Israeli officials that there were no plans for a Turkish base or permanent military presence at the facility.
Al-Shaibani said rehabilitation work at the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northern Syria was being carried out for the Syrian Air Force and that Israel had been informed about the purpose of the work before the attack, according to Axios.
“There was no intention to establish a Turkish base there, nor to establish a permanent Turkish military presence or deploy Turkish forces at the site,” al-Shaibani said in written comments to the outlet.
Israel reportedly dropped at least eight bombs on the airbase early Tuesday, targeting runways and hangars and damaging recently reconstructed sections of the facility. No casualties were reported.
US and Israeli officials told Axios that Israel had informed the Trump administration that the operation was intended to prevent a Turkish military buildup at the base, which lies about 72 kilometres (45 miles) from the Turkish border.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday that Syria had been warned against allowing Turkey to establish a presence at the facility.
Al-Shaibani disputed that account, maintaining that the activity at Abu al-Duhur was limited to repairing the airfield and other infrastructure damaged during Syria’s civil war.