Pakistan condemns Israeli strikes on Syria; voices solidarity with Syrian people

WEB DESK: The Foreign Office (FO) on Wednesday condemned Israeli strikes on Syria, expressing unwavering solidarity with the Syrian people.

In a statement, FO spokesperson specifically condemned the Israeli attack on the Abu al-Duhur airbase in Syria’s Idlib province, calling such provocative actions a blatant violation of international law.

Pakistan reiterated its support for Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, peace and prosperity, the spokesperson said, calling on the international community to play its role in halting Israeli military attacks and to hold Israel accountable for actions destabilising the region.

On August 18, Israel bombed Syria’s Abu al-Duhur airbase near Aleppo, carrying out eight airstrikes on the runway and storage facilities, according to Syrian state media. No casualties were reported as the incident marked Israel’s first strike on Syrian government assets since March.

Turkey condemned the attack as a violation of Syria’s territorial integrity and called for a decisive international stance against Israel’s “escalating aggression.” Netanyahu’s office defended the strikes, saying Syria was on the verge of breaching a security understanding by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the base, and warned Israel “will not tolerate threats to its security,” while saying it “would welcome a return to the status quo.” Turkey did not confirm whether its troops were present at the base.

US envoy Tom Barrack called the strikes an “unnecessary escalation” that doesn’t serve regional stability, urging restraint from all sides. Syrian Foreign Minister Assad al-Shibani said the attacks lacked security justification and vowed to keep pursuing diplomacy to stop them.

Israel has repeatedly struck Syrian forces since Bashar al-Assad’s ouster in 2024, viewing Syria’s new leadership with suspicion over its Islamist roots, even as President Ahmed al-Sharaa has pursued warmer Western ties and said Syria is seeking a security deal with Israel. Tensions between Israel and Turkey over Syria have been sharpening.