SANA quoting a military source accused Israel of the strikes.

"Our air defences confronted enemy missiles launched by Israeli warplanes (...) towards some of our positions in Homs and in the vicinity of Damascus," the source said.

No details were given on the positions nor any reports of casualties.

The explosions near Damascus caused "some material damage", and a number of civilians were injured "slightly" due to glass falling in their houses, the state agency added.

However, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the strikes had targeted a research centre and a military airport west of the city of Homs where the Hezbollah Shiite movement and Iranians are deployed.

Rami Abdel Rahman, the observatory chief, said the strikes injured some of these forces.

The targets near Damascus were still unclear.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria since the beginning of the conflict in 2011, targeting forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad and the regime's allies Iran and Hezbollah.