DAMASCUS/ANKARA, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Israel bombed an airbase in Syria ​on Tuesday, Syrian state media said, drawing condemnation from Turkey and criticism from a U.S. envoy who called it an “unnecessary escalation”.

Syria’s state-run Ekhbariya television, citing a ‌military source, said Israel carried out eight airstrikes on the runway and storage facilities at the Abu al-Duhur base near Aleppo in northwest Syria. A separate military source and a civilian who lives near the base said there were no casualties.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said late Tuesday that Syria ​was on the “verge” of violating a “status quo agreed with Israel in security matters” by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at the airbase.