Damascus: Israel again fired missiles at a Syrian military facility near Damascus late on Monday, according to a war monitor, the second reported Israeli strike in Syria in the past week, reports Al Jazeera.

Syrian forces responded by firing anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli jets, Lebanese news channel Al-Mayadeen reported, adding the Israeli attack targeted a scientific research centre near Jamraya on the outskirts of the Syrian capital.

Syrian air defence systems intercepted three of the missiles, Al-Mayadeen reported.

"The shelling took place with missiles launched by Israeli warplanes," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported citing local sources.

"The explosions were accompanied by flashes ... believed to be caused regime's air defence launching its missiles to intercept the [Israeli] missiles and prevent them from hitting their targets," the Observatory added.

"The Observatory learned that the targets are warehouses and locations belong to the regime forces and their allies."

Residents living near the Jamraya Research and Information Center, located 5km northwest of Damascus, reported hearing loud explosions.

There was no comment from Israel, which rarely confirms the strikes it conducts inside Syria.

In a similar strike on Saturday, Israel reportedly attacked another military position near Damascus.

Syrian state television reported that Syria's "air defence system thwarted the attack" by shooting down two of the Israeli missiles.