Damascus, Sep 13 (IANS): The Iranian embassy in Damascus has strongly condemned Israel's recent airstrikes on the city of Masyaf in Syria's central province of Hama, calling the attacks "acts of aggression".

In a statement issued on Thursday evening, the embassy also clarified that none of the Iranian advisors stationed in Syria were targeted during the strikes, refuting Israeli allegations that the airstrikes targeted Iranian military personnel.

The airstrikes, which struck military sites in Masyaf, had resulted in the deaths of at least 18 people, including four civilians, eight Syrian military personnel, and six unidentified individuals, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor previously reported.

The strikes, some of the most intense in recent months, also caused significant material damage, including the destruction of military facilities, said the observatory, Xinhua news agency reported.

Israel has intensified strikes on Syria since the start of this year, targeting military sites that allegedly house Iranian and Hezbollah-linked forces operating in the region.