JERUSALEM: Israel launched strikes against targets in Syria early on Wednesday, hitting anti-aircraft batteries in response to a missile fired from Syria, the military said.

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.

“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 military said. Syrian st­ate media said the country’s air defences had been activat­ed against Israeli fire “in the vicinity of Damascus”.