Israeli strike hits Syria base after Turkish delegation visit

A Turkish delegation had visited an air base in northern Syria the day before it was hit by Israeli airstrikes, Syrian officials said.
The Israeli strikes hit the Abu Duhur base early Tuesday, hours after the delegation had left, causing damage but no casualties. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement that Israel had attacked the base because Syria was “on the verge of breaching” an agreed-upon “status quo in security matters” by allowing Turkish troops to deploy there. Two Syrian officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly said the Turkish delegation had visited the air base in the northwestern province of Idlib on Monday to review rehabilitation work underway at the facility.

It was the first confirmation of a Turkish presence at the Abu Duhur base. 

Turkish and Syrian officials have not publicly commented on Turkey’s role there but have condemned the attack, as did Tom Barrack, the US ambassador to Turkey who also serves as special envoy to Syria, and a number of 
Arab countries.