DAMASCUS, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian air defenses intercepted a number of Israeli missiles over the capital Damascus on Sunday night, state TV reported.

Several explosions were heard on Sunday night reverberating across the capital, in what appeared to be a fresh Israeli missile attack targeting military sites in Syria.

Xinhua reporters in several districts of Damascus heard the explosions.

Most of the missiles were intercepted before reaching their targets, said the official report. It added that the missiles were fired from above the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

The state TV said none of the missiles have hit any airport in the country.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights opposition monitor said the Israeli missile strike targeted positions of Iranian-backed militias in the vicinity of the international airport of Damascus.

The Britain-based watchdog group also said that the air defenses managed to intercept several missiles.

The attack is the latest in a string of missile strikes carried out by Israel.

Throughout the Syrian crisis, Israel has carried out hundreds of airstrikes against Iranian targets in Syria, as well as convoys transporting weapons to the Shiite Lebanese Hezbollah group.

On Feb. 13, the Syrian air defenses intercepted a number of missiles from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that targeted areas around Damascus.

On Feb. 6, Israel carried out a similar attack around the capital Damascus, killing a number of pro-government fighters, according to the observatory.

In January, Damascus accused the Israeli air force of carrying out an attack on the T4 military airport in central Syria.

Last November, the Israeli army carried out a series of airstrikes against Syrian military sites and Iranian forces that killed 23 people including 16 foreigners, said the observatory.

In 2019 alone, more than 17 Israeli attacks took place against targets in Syria.