Amman: A massive blast near Damascus International Airport early on Thursday was caused by an Israeli air strike on warehouses and fuel tanks operated by a Syrian government ally.

Israeli Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, speaking from the United States, where he has been meeting US officials, told Israeli Army Radio: "I can confirm that the incident in Syria corresponds completely with Israel's policy to act to prevent Iran's smuggling of advanced weapons via Syria to Hezbollah in Iran. Naturally, I don't want to elaborate on this."

Image taken from video purporting to show the moment an explosion rocked Damascus on Thursday. Credit:Screenshot/GMC/

"The Prime Minister has said that whenever we receive intelligence that indicated an intention to transfer advanced weapons to Hezbollah, we will act."

An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment. Syrian state TV said Syrian military positions were hit by the Israeli missiles.