The Israeli military attacked Syrian military positions in response to rockets fired from Syria at Mount Hermon in the occupied Golan Heights, the army said Sunday.

Two rockets were fired from Syria at Mount Hermon late Saturday, with the army saying in a Sunday statement that one of them was "located within Israeli territory."

In response the army attacked "two Syrian artillery batteries, a number of observation and intelligence posts on the Golan Heights, and an SA-2 aerial defense battery," the statement said.   

"During the strikes, an Israeli aerial defense system was activated due to Syrian anti-aircraft shooting. None of the rockets exploded in Israel."

A statement from the military said it held the Syrian regime accountable "for every action taken against Israel."

The Syrian army's anti-aircraft defense was activated Sunday against "enemy missiles" fired from Israel at "positions" in southwest Damascus, the official SANA news agency quoted a military source as saying.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had ordered the strike at Syria.

"We won't tolerate fire at our territory, and respond forcefully to any aggression against us," he said.

Israel has carried out hundreds of air strikes in Syria, most of them against what it says are Iranian and Hezbollah targets.

Israel says it is determined to prevent its arch foe Iran from entrenching itself militarily in Syria, where Tehran backs President Bashar al-Assad in the country's eight-year war.

The Jewish state insists that it has the right to continue to target positions in Syria held by Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah.

On May 27 Syria said Israel carried out a missile attack in Quneitra, in what the Israeli army said was retaliation for anti-aircraft fire targeting one of its fighter jets. Syrian air defense batteries intercepted projectiles coming from Israel and downed a number of them on May 17, according to SANA.

The Syrian province of Quneitra includes the Golan Heights, most of which is occupied and annexed by Israel.