Picture used for illustrative purposes only.

A Syrian soldier was killed and five others were wounded after Israel launched strikes against targets in Syria early on Wednesday.

Syrian state media said an Israeli attack took place near the capital Damascus, hitting anti-aircraft batteries in response to a missile fired from Syria.

Sirens were sounded in the northern Israeli Arab city of Umm Al-Fahm after the Syrian missile launch but it exploded in mid-air, the Israel Defence Forces tweeted.

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"In response to the anti-aircraft missile launched from Syria earlier tonight, we just struck surface-to-air missile targets in Syria, including radar & anti-aircraft batteries," the IDF said.

Israeli aerial attacks began shortly before 1am from the direction of the occupied Golan.

Syrian official news agency SANA reported that Israel fired surface-to-surface missiles in the vicinity of the capital city Damascus and air defences brought some of them down. It said a Syrian soldier was killed in the attack, which caused material damage, and five soldiers were wounded.

In a rare statement acknowledging attacks inside Syria, the Israeli army said it struck Syrian facilities used in targeting Israeli aircraft, including a radar and anti-aircraft batteries.

Syrian state media said the country's air defences had been activated against Israeli fire "in the vicinity of Damascus".

Citing a military source, it said Israeli aerial attacks began shortly before 1:00 am and were accompanied at 1:10 am by surface-to-surface missile strikes "from the direction of the occupied Golan".

"Our aerial defences confronted the enemy's missiles and shot some of them down," the Syrian news agency SANA said.

SANA said one soldier was killed and five others wounded, "along with material damage".