Syria warns Israel of 'surprise' retaliation

Diplomat's threat comes as Syrian ally Iran says air raid near Damascus will have significant implications for Israel.Syria has threatened to retaliate for an Israeli air attack while its ally Iran says there will be repercussions for Israel over the attack.

Ali Abdul-Karim Ali, Syrian ambassador to Lebanon, said in Damascus on Thursday that Syria "has the option and the capacity to surprise in retaliation".

Ali said he could not predict when Syria would retaliate. It was up to the relevant authorities to prepare the retaliation and choose the time and place, he told Al Ahad, a website of Hezbollah, the Lebanese group is closely allied with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Iran.

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It is unclear what the exact nature of the target of Wednesday's Israeli air raids was.

The Syrian military has denied the existence of any weapons shipment and said a scientific research facility outside Damascus was hit by the Israeli fighter jets.

Syrian state media said that the attacks targeted a military research centre near the Syrian capital, while regional security sources told the Reuters and AP news agencies that the target was a convoy of lorries allegedly carrying anti-aircraft missiles for Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In Iran, the semi-official Fars news agency quoted Hossein Amir Abdollahian, Iran's deputy foreign minister, as saying the raid on Syria will have significant implications for Israel.

Ali Akbar Salehi, Iran's foreign minister, condemned the Israeli raid on state television, calling it a clear violation of Syria's sovereignty.

Iran is Syria's strongest ally in the Middle East, and has provided Assad's government with military and political backing for years.