Syrian state media said on Monday that overnight Israeli strikes killed 16 people in central Hama province, while a war monitor reported a higher death toll in the 鈥榠ntense鈥� raids on military sites.
The Israeli military, which has carried out hundreds of strikes in Syria since its civil war started in 2011.
Syrian official news agency SANA, citing a medical source said the number of dead 鈥榠n the Israeli aggression on a number of sites on the outskirts of Masyaf鈥� was 鈥�16 martyrs and 36 wounded, including six critically鈥�, updating an earlier toll of 14.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor reported 鈥榠ntense Israeli strikes鈥� overnight, providing an updated of toll of 25 dead including 鈥榝ive civilians, four soldiers and intelligence personnel and 13 Syrians working with pro-Iran groups鈥�.
Three more bodies were unidentified, the Observatory added.
Israeli strikes on Syria since 2011 have mainly targeted army positions and Iran-backed fighters including from Lebanon鈥檚 Hezbollah group.
Israeli authorities rarely comment on individual strikes in Syria, but have repeatedly said they will not allow arch-enemy Iran to expand its presence in the country.
The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of sources inside Syria, had earlier said the strikes targeted sites 鈥榳here pro-Iran groups and weapons development experts are stationed鈥�.
The Observatory said 鈥業sraeli strikes targeted the scientific research area in Masyaf鈥� in Hama province and other sites, destroying 鈥榖uildings and military centres鈥�.
Syria鈥檚 SANA news agency, citing a military source, reported that at 鈥榓round 11:20pm (2020 GMT) on Sunday, the Israeli enemy carried out an air attack鈥� from the direction of northwest Lebanon 鈥榯argeting a number of military sites in the central region鈥�.
Air defences 鈥榮hot down some鈥� of the missiles, SANA reported.
It was 鈥榦ne of the most violent Israeli attacks鈥� in Syria in years, Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman said.
He said Iranian experts 鈥榙eveloping arms including precision missiles and drones鈥� worked in the scientific research centre that was hit.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani told a media briefing: 鈥榃e strongly condemn this criminal attack by the Zionist regime on Syrian soil.鈥�
Syria鈥檚 foreign ministry condemned the raids, accusing Israel of trying to 鈥榩rovoke a further escalation in the region鈥�.
Israeli raids on Syria surged after Hamas鈥檚 October 7 attack on Israel sparked war in Gaza, then eased somewhat after an April 1 strike blamed on Israel hit the Iranian consular building in Damascus.
Syria has sought to stay out of the Israel-Hamas conflict, which has raised fears of a broader regional war.
In late August, several pro-Iranian fighters were killed in Syria鈥檚 central Homs region in strikes attributed to Israel, the Observatory had said.
Days later, the Israeli military said it killed an unspecified number of fighters belonging to Hamas ally Islamic Jihad in a strike in Syria near the Lebanese border.
The Syrian government鈥檚 brutal suppression of a 2011 uprising triggered the conflict that has killed more than half a million people and drawn in foreign armies and jihadists.
Iran-backed groups including Lebanon鈥檚 powerful Hezbollah movement have bolstered president Bashar al-Assad鈥檚 forces during Syria鈥檚 civil war.
Israeli raids on Syria have also sought to cut off Hezbollah supply routes to Lebanon.