AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian air defences responded to an Israeli aerial attack on the city of Palmyra in eastern Homs province in central Syria and downed several “hostile targets”, state media said on Monday.

A news flash on state media did not give any details of the aerial attack on the ancient city in eastern Homs where Iranian backed-militias are dug in on its outskirts according to Western intelligence sources.

The attack is the second in less than a month by Israel which has launched in recent years hundreds of attacks on Iranian-backed militias and their bases in Syria, where they have a large presence across the country.