Mar 27, 2025
Escalating tensions between Israel and Turkey over military influence in Syria have reached new heights following Israeli airstrikes on strategic targets in the Palmyra and Homs regions late last week. The strikes on 21–22 March targeted Syrian military bases and left multiple Syrian Ministry of Defence personnel wounded, underscoring a brewing proxy conflict between two regional powers now openly vying for influence in post-war Syria.
Israeli airstrikes in Palmyra ignite new tensions
Israeli fighter jets conducted two rounds of intense air raids near the historic city of Palmyra in central Syria’s Homs province on the night of 21 March, hitting the Palmyra military airport and the nearby Tiyas (T4) Airbase. The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said the targets “still had strategic military capabilities” and that the strikes were intended to neutralise remaining threats and maintain Israeli air superiority in the region.
Syrian state media reported that at least two Syrian defence personnel were wounded in the strikes, while the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) documented 12 members of Syria’s Ministry of Defence injured in the Palmyra and T4 strikes. The bombardment also caused significant material damage to the installations, which prior to the fall of President Bashar al-Assad had hosted Iranian-aligned militias.
Syrian military sources indicated the Israeli warplanes struck a watchtower, a missile battalion, and an arms depot at the T4 airbase, as well as sites around Palmyra’s outskirts. These facilities had reportedly been taken over by Syria’s new transitional authorities after Assad’s ouster in late 2024, and their targeting sent a clear signal to Damascus and Ankara alike.
“Whoever attacks us or plans to attack us, we attack them,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, defending Israel’s freedom of action in Syria. The Syrian government in Damascus – now led by interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa (better known as former jihadist leader Abu Mohammad al-Julani) – condemned the strikes as a violation of sovereignty. However, Israeli officials insist they will continue striking strategic sites as needed to prevent hostile forces from consolidating power on Syrian soil. READ MORE
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SOURCE: Medya News