Syria claims Israel struck targets in the country's north

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, people hold Syrian flags and portraits of President Bashar Assad during a protest against U.S. President Donald Trump's move to recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, in the costal port city of Tartus, Syria, Wednesday, March. 27, 2019. (SANA via AP)

BEIRUT – Syrian state media is reporting that the country's air defenses have responded to an "Israeli air aggression" targeting positions in the northern Aleppo province.

State TV quotes a military official saying the late Wednesday strikes targeted positions in an industrial area northeast of Aleppo city. The unnamed military official says Syrian air defenses have intercepted a number of "attacking missiles."

The night strikes come at a time of heightened tension between Israel and Syria, following Monday's decision by the U.S. administration to recognize Israel's control over the Golan Heights it occupied from Syria in 1967. The decision sparked worldwide condemnation and protests in Syria.

Israel has recently acknowledged it has been striking Iranian targets in Syria. The last such strikes were in January. Iran is a Damascus ally.