A massive explosion struck near Damascus International Airport early today as Israel blew up an arms supply hub operated by the Lebanese group Hezbollah, Syrian rebel and regional intelligence sources said.

They were reportedly targeting weapons sent from Iran via commercial and military cargo planes.

Both Russia and Syria have condemned the attack, which Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for.

But the country's intelligence minister Israel Katz, speaking from the United States to Israeli Army Radio, said: '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.'

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Pictures began circulating on social media this morning of the 'huge' blast near Damascus airport, which was conducted by Israel's air force

Israel is believed to have hit Damascus in December 2014, and Palmyra last month. Syria and Israel have long argued over the Golan Heights, territory to the southwest of Damascus which has been held by Israel since 1967

He added: 'The prime minister has said that whenever we receive intelligence that indicated an intention to transfer advanced weapons to Hezbollah, we will act.'

Syrian state media said Israeli missiles hit a military position southwest of the airport, but did not mention arms or fuel. It said 'Israeli aggression' had caused explosions and some material losses, but did not expand on the damage.

Two senior rebel sources in the Damascus area, citing monitors in the eastern outskirts of the capital, said five strikes hit an ammunition depot used by Iran-backed militias.

Lebanon's al-Manar television, which is affiliated with Hezbollah, said early indications were that the strikes hit warehouses and fuel tanks. It said there no casualties.

Rami Abdel Rahman from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the blast, pictured above, was 'huge' and that fires are still raging in the area

Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) has previously said his country will act if it has intelligence of advanced weaponry being transferred to its enemy Hezbollah

Russia criticised the strikes, saying Israel and other countries should avoid any action that heightens tension in the region.

Asked about the Israeli strikes on a conference call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Syria's sovereignty should be respected.

Peskov said that the Russian and Israeli militaries were in constant contact.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights chief Rami Abdel Rahman, meanwhile, told AFP the 'blast was huge'.

Israel has not officially confirmed if it carried out the raid but intelligence minister Israel Katz said it 'corresponds' to the country's policy

Israeli warplanes have hit the airport and other bases around the capital in the past, targeting what it said were weapons stockpiles of its Lebanese foe Hezbollah, which is allied with the Syrian government.

The airport lies about 15 miles southeast of the capital.

Israeli officials have previously said they view any movement of advanced weaponry to Hezbollah units in Syria as a 'red line' that would prompt it to carry out air strikes or artillery fire in the past.

A senior regional intelligence source who requested anonymity said the targeted depot handles a significant volume of weapons sent by air Iran, a leading ally of Assad in the region.

After Israel's raid on Palmyra last month, the Syrian government launched ground to air missiles in retaliation. Pictured above, this morning's explosion

The source said many of the arms are destined for an array of Iran-backed militias, led by Hezbollah, which have thousands of fighters engaged in some of the toughest fronts against Syrian rebels.

Speaking in Moscow on Wednesday, where he was attending a security conference, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman reiterated that Israel 'will not allow Iranian and Hezbollah forces to be amassed on the Golan Heights border'.

During his visit, Lieberman held talks with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, as part of efforts by Israel to coordinate with Moscow on actions in Syria and avoid the risk of confrontation.

A statement from the Defence Ministry said Lieberman had expressed concern to the Russian ministers over 'Iranian activity in Syria and the Iranian use of Syrian soil as a base for arms smuggling to Hezbollah in Lebanon'.

Al-Manar television said the air strike (pictured above) hit at dawn and caused only material damage after blowing up fuel tanks and a warehouse

A Western diplomat said the airstrikes sent a clear political message to Iran, effectively saying it could no longer use Iraqi and Syrian airspace to resupply proxies with impunity.

Rebel sources said the attack caused a fire with flames appearing to come from a closed military area of the sprawling complex they believed was used by Tehran to supply weapons to Iranian-backed militias operating alongside the Syrian army.

It was hit by Israeli air strikes in December 2014, Syrian state media reported at the time.

Israel does not usually confirm or deny each individual raid it carries out.

But last month, it said it had carried out several strikes near the Syrian desert city of Palmyra, targeting what it said were 'advanced weapons' belonging to Hezbollah.

The Syrian civil war has now lasted more than six years and claimed more than 300,000 lives. Pictured above, this morning's explosion near Damascus

The strikes prompted Syria to launch retaliatory ground to air missiles, one of which was intercepted over Israeli territory in the most serious flare-up between the two neighbours since the Syrian civil war began six years ago.

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to destroy Syrian air defence systems if they were used again.

On January 13, Syria accused Israel of bombing Mazzeh air base in the western suburbs of the capital.

There were several strikes near the same base last year.

In April 2016, Netanyahu admitted for the first time that Israel had attacked dozens of convoys in Syria that he said were transporting weapons destined for Hezbollah.

Israel and Syria are still technically at war, though the armistice line had remained largely quiet for decades until 2011 when the Syrian conflict began.

Israel and Hezbollah fought a devastating 34-day war in 2006 which killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, mainly civilians, and 160 Israelis, mostly soldiers.