DAMASCUS, May 4 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian air defenses responded to an Israeli strike in the country's northern province of Aleppo on Monday, state news agency SANA reported.

The missile strike targeted the Scientific Research Center in Sfaira area in the countryside of Aleppo, said the report.

Citing a military source, the report said warplanes were seen on the radar system and fired missiles on several military depots.

The air defenses confronted the attack, and assessment is currently ongoing to determine the exact losses, the military source was cited as saying.

Meanwhile, the opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said the Israeli strikes targeted the Scientific Research Center located inside the Defense Factories in the Sfaira in Aleppo countryside, destroying a number of weapon depots with no exact estimation on losses.

The Israelis usually strike military sites in Damascus and in Homs but their strikes in Aleppo are rare.

On April 30, Israeli helicopters fired missiles on targets in southern Syria, causing damage.

On April 27, three civilians were killed and four others wounded during an Israeli strike in Damascus countryside.

Israel has carried out dozens of missile attacks during the Syrian war, claiming it's targeting Iranian positions in the country.