At least 14 people have been killed in Israeli air strikes targeting several military sites in central Syria, according to the Syrian state news agency Sana. The attacks, which occurred around Masyaf in Hama province on Sunday night, also left 43 others wounded, as reported by a hospital director.

A UK-based monitoring group reported earlier that the strikes resulted in the deaths of at least four soldiers and three civilians, while also destroying military and scientific facilities associated with Iran-backed armed groups.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the foreign media reports but has previously acknowledged conducting numerous strikes in Syria targeting what it claims are Iranian and allied military sites.

Israeli strikes have reportedly increased since the onset of the Gaza conflict last October, in response to cross-border attacks on northern Israel by Hezbollah and other groups from Lebanon and Syria.

According to Sana, a Syrian military source stated that Israeli aircraft, flying over northwestern Lebanon, launched missiles at various military sites in central Syria at approximately 23:20 local time (20:20 GMT) on Sunday. The source added that some missiles were intercepted by Syrian air defenses.

The air strikes also damaged a local highway and ignited a fire in the Hair Abbas area. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 13 explosions in the area housing scientific research centers in Masyaf, where pro-Iranian groups and weapons development experts were present. The group noted that three civilians in a car and four unidentified soldiers were among the fatalities.