U.S. Ambassador to Ankara Barrack commented on Israel’s airstrike in Syria in a social media post.
Barrack said he did not know why the strike had been carried out but could share the responses conveyed to him. He relayed the claim that Israel had received intelligence suggesting Türkiye might be transferring military assets to an air base in Syria and had shared this information with the administration in Washington.
Barrack said the United States had consulted its intelligence agencies and that the response was that the claim was untrue.
Assessment of the strike
Barrack said there may have been a communication failure between the Israeli military, Mossad and the Prime Minister’s Office. He stressed that neither the United States nor Türkiye had been informed of the strike.
Describing the Turkish military as strong and courageous, Barrack said it was well-equipped and highly competent.
Israel’s claim
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Prime Minister’s Office claimed that Turkish troops had been attempting to establish themselves at the base and had deployed military installations advancing southward.
Strike on Abu Zuhur Air Base
Israeli fighter jets targeted the abandoned Abu Zuhur Military Air Base east of Idlib province in northern Syria.
A Syrian official said the base had been hit eight times and that, in addition to the runway, an unused structure in a hangar had also been targeted. No information was provided on whether anyone was killed or injured in the strike.