Middle East Monistoring Desk Islamabad
The Foreign Ministers of of Pakistan, Algeria, Indonesia, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mauritania, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Turkiye strongly condemn the Israeli airstrikes targeting the Abu al-Duhur military airbase in northwestern Syria.
These attacks constitute an extreme escalation and a flagrant violation of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political unity of the Syrian Arab Republic.
The Ministers express deep concern over the continuous targeting and degradation of Syria’s territory and infrastructure. Such actions directly risk to undermine Syria’s ongoing efforts to restore security, rebuild national institutions, and address the humanitarian consequences of years of prolonged conflict.
The Ministers further underline that Israel’s continued violation of Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity risk further escalating tensions, undermining regional peace and stability, and eroding respect for international law and the principles of the Charter of the United Nations.
The Ministers call upon the international community to adopt a firm, clear and principled position in the face of the continued aggression against Syria, and to take concrete steps, in accordance with international law and the Charter of the United Nations, to bring an end to these violations, to ensure full respect for the 1974 Disengagement Agreement and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the areas they have occupied, and thereby to prevent further escalation and protect regional peace and stability.
The Ministers underscore the imperative of respect for Syria’s sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and political unity and stress the rejection of any attempt to undermine them.
Israel has defended the strike, accusing Damascus of allowing Turkish forces to establish a presence at the air base, which Israel considers a threat to its security. Türkiye has firmly denied the accusation.
At least eight bombs struck runways and several aircraft hangars at the base, damaging recently renovated infrastructure, though no casualties were reported.
The strike has heightened tensions between Israel and Türkiye. US envoy Tom Barrack said the two countries came within one step of direct military confrontation following the attack, calling it a warning of a potential direct war between Tel Aviv and Ankara. According to Axios, Israel informed White House officials before the strike, telling Washington its objective was to prevent Türkiye from building up military forces and sending advanced weapons systems into Syria.
A Turkish official rejected claims that Turkish forces were stationed at the base and accused Israel of creating pretexts to strike neighboring countries. The Turkish presidency said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims were intended to justify what it called illegal airstrikes, while Ankara reaffirmed its commitment to cooperating with the Syrian government on security and stability.
Syrian Foreign Minister Concludes Official Visit to Pakistan
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic, H.E. Mr. Asaad Hassan Al-Shaibani, visited Pakistan from 19–20 August 2026, at the invitation of Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Deputy Prime Minister/Minister for Foreign Affairs of Pakistan. This was the first visit by a Syrian Foreign Minister to Pakistan following the formation of the new Syrian Government.
The DPM/FM held bilateral consultations with his Syrian counterpart, during which the two sides reaffirmed the longstanding brotherly ties between Pakistan and Syria. Underscoring the importance of regular institutional engagement between the two countries, the two sides agreed to the early convening of the established institutional mechanisms. They also agreed to expand cooperation across areas of mutual interest and strengthen people-to-people contacts.
The Syrian Foreign Minister also called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif. He also met with the Minister for Interior and Narcotics Control, the Minister for Commerce, and the Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces.
The visit provided an opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding bonds of friendship between Pakistan and Syria and to develop a forward-looking framework for enhanced bilateral cooperation.
