Airstrikes hit Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria

Early on the morning of August 18, 2026, the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in Syria's Idlib province was targeted by airstrikes. Reports regarding the scale of the attack vary; initial sources cited four strikes, while the Syrian state broadcaster Ekhbariya later stated that eight strikes hit the site. The attacks targeted the runway and storage facilities, though no casualties were reported by military sources or local residents.

The base, located approximately 70 kilometers from the Turkish border, has been out of active military commission since 2013 and experienced significant damage during the Syrian civil war. Following the removal of former President Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, the facility was reportedly repurposed as a training center for the new Syrian military. Currently, it is under the protection of the Syrian Ministry of Defense.

Responsibility for the attack remains unclaimed. The Israeli military has declined to comment on the incident, and the Syrian Ministry of Defense has not issued an official statement. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the strikes followed a recent visit to the site by unidentified parties, though investigations into the origin of the aircraft and the motives behind the attack are ongoing.