Israeli warplanes unleashed air strikes on Syrian army targets yesterday, claiming that they were in response to a roadside bombing in the occupied Golan Heights that wounded four soldiers the day before.

As well as the air strikes, Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon threatened Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that if he pursues a path harmful to Israel, he will be sorry.

Israeli planes targeted a Syrian army training facility, an army headquarters and artillery batteries.

The Syrian army said that the Israeli raids near the villages of Kom and Nouriyeh had killed one soldier and wounded seven others.

There have been several incidents on Israel's northern borders recently, with a roadside bomb exploding close to an Israeli military patrol along the Lebanese border last week.

Israel also launched an air strike into Lebanon's territory last month against a suspected Hezbollah weapons convoy.

The strike killed the official overseeing the operation, leading the Lebanese resistance group to vow retaliation.

Hezbollah has been assisting President Assad's struggle against jihadist groups seeking to overthrow his government and institute an austere Islamist state there.

It has a record of successfully defending south Lebanon against Israeli aggression.

"If he continues to co-operate with terrorists seeking to harm Israel, we will exact a heavy price from him in a way that will cause him to regret his actions," Mr Yaalon blustered.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Syria's army had assisted and participated in attacks on Israeli forces, saying: "Our policy is clear. We hurt those who hurt us."