Damascus, Dec 5 (IANS): Syria's air defence systems intercepted two hostile drones over the capital city of Damascus on Thursday, the Syrian Defense Ministry said.

"Our air defence units recently repelled hostile unmanned aircraft in the skies over Damascus and shot down two drones, without any human casualties or material losses," the ministry said in a statement.

The statement did not specify who was operating the drones or what their intended targets were. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Xinhua news agency correspondents in Damascus heard sounds of gunfire and explosions, but the situation returned to normalcy shortly afterward.

The incident marks the latest in a series of aerial confrontations in Syrian airspace amid the country's ongoing conflict.

Syrian authorities have previously accused Israel of conducting airstrikes and drone attacks against targets within Syria, often aiming at Iranian-backed militias and Hezbollah positions.

The incident comes amid heightened tension as the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) militant groups captured the city of Hama, Syria's fourth-largest city, on Thursday.