Ankara, 22 August (H.S.): The United States has said that the intelligence relied upon by Israel for its recent airstrike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in northern Syria was incorrect. US Ambassador to Türkiye and Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq Tom Barrack said neither Washington nor Ankara had been informed about the strike in advance.

According to Türkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency, Barrack said in a social media post that the reasons behind the attack remained unclear, but a US intelligence assessment had not corroborated Israel’s claims.

Barrack said Israel had received intelligence suggesting that Türkiye could deploy military equipment to an airbase in Syria. Israel had reportedly shared the information with the United States.

The United States subsequently examined the claim through its intelligence agencies. Barrack said the responses received from US agencies indicated that the intelligence was inaccurate.

He also suggested that there could have been some form of misunderstanding between the Israeli military, the Mossad and the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The US envoy made it clear that Israel had not notified either Washington or Ankara before carrying out the strike on the Abu al-Duhur airbase.

Barrack praised the Turkish military, describing it as strong and well-equipped, and said the Turkish armed forces understood their responsibilities well.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his office had claimed that Turkish troops were attempting to deploy at the Syrian airbase and establish military positions in the southern part of the country.

Barrack’s remarks have raised questions over those claims. Israel, however, has not immediately issued a fresh response to the US statement.

Israeli fighter jets targeted the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria’s eastern Idlib province. The airbase is currently not operational.

According to Syrian officials, Israeli aircraft carried out around eight strikes on the airbase, reportedly targeting its runway and a derelict structure inside a hangar.

There have so far been no reports of casualties in the attack. Following the US envoy’s remarks, the situation surrounding the growing tensions and military activity involving Israel and Türkiye in Syria has become increasingly sensitive.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar