ISRAEL carried out air strikes on areas near the central Syrian city of Homs early today, causing material damage but no casualties, the Syrian military said in a statement.

A Syrian anti-aircraft missile exploded over Israeli territory, the Israeli military said, prompting another round of strikes.

Syrian state media quoted an unnamed military official as saying the air defences shot down some of the missiles fired by Israeli warplanes flying over neighbouring Lebanon.

Israeli authorities did not comment on the air strike on Homs. 

But the military said that one of the Syrian air defence missiles exploded over the Israeli city of Rahat without causing any damage. 

In response to the rocket, Israeli jets struck the air defence battery from where the anti-aircraft rocket was launched. The military said it also struck other targets, without elaborating.

Israel has carried out hundreds of strikes on targets in government-controlled parts of neighbouring Syria in recent years, but it rarely acknowledges the attacks.

The last suspected Israeli air strike on Syria was on June 14, near the capital Damascus that left one soldier wounded.

Israel has also targeted the international airports in Damascus and the northern Syrian city of Aleppo several times over the past few years, often putting them out of commission.