LONDON: Senior Israeli and Syrian officials met Sunday in an effort to ease tensions after an Israeli strike on a Syrian airbase, Axios reported, citing three sources familiar with the matter. The meeting between Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad Al-Shaibani and Mossad Director Roman Gofman came days after Israel bombed Abu Al-Duhur airbase in Idlib Governorate, northern Syria, escalating already fraught relations between the two countries. On Tuesday, Israeli warplanes dropped at least eight bombs on runways and hangars at the base, about 72 km from the Turkish border.

Israeli defence minister Israel Katz has said that a strike on northwestern Syria’s Abu Duhur military airport was conducted due to alleged plans by Turkey to deploy troops there.

Israel said to set 'red lines' for diplomatic agreement, as US pushes for full renewal of direct Jerusalem-Damascus talks that were halted earlier this year