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air defence intercepted several missiles fired during an "Israeli" air strike on Monday against targets near the capital Damascus, the state SANA news agency reported.

It did not give details of the positions targeted shortly before dawn but said the military "shot down a number of missiles before they reached their targets".

SANA described it as "Israeli aggression" carried out from Lebanese airspace.

Since the start of the Syrian in 2011, Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes in the country, targeting government troops as well as allied Iranian forces and fighters from Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, enemies of the Jewish state.

On April 20, SANA said Syrian air defences had downed Israeli missiles near the ancient city of Palmyra.

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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the targets were "military posts for Iranian militias in the Palmyra desert".

That raid killed three Syrian fighters and six foreigners, according to the Observatory, which was not able to determine their nationalities.

Israel rarely confirms its operations in Syria but says Iran's presence in support of the Assad is a threat and that it will continue its strikes.

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