The Israel Defence Forces said the missile had "most likely intercepted" a "Syrian UAV", or unmanned aerial vehicle, flying over the demilitarised zone between the two countries.

"A Patriot missile was launched towards a UAV that approached Israel from Syria," the IDF wrote on Twitter.

The move follows Israel targeting three military posts in Syria on Wednesday, after its army intercepted a drone which had entered its territory.

Israel has been on high alert in recent weeks as Syria's President Bashar al-Assad launched an offensive to retake rebel-held areas in the southern province of Daraa.

Earlier this month Israel's military said it had sent reinforcements to the Golan Heights, as Syrians fled the fighting set up makeshift camps near the Israeli-held plateau.

Particular unease in Israel has been sparked by the presence of arch-enemy Iran across the border in Syria, where Tehran is backing Assad's regime in the ongoing conflict.

A series of strikes in Syria that have killed Iranians in recent months have been attributed to Israel.

A large swathe of the Golan Heights and adjacent areas were seized from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967. Israel annexed that territory in 1981, a move never recognised by the international community.