Iran-backed forces in Syria said on Thursday they would respond forcefully to an Israeli strike over Syria's Palmyra area in the province of Homs on Wednesday evening in the second such strike within a week.

The Syrian defence ministry said in a statement that one soldier was killed in the attack that took place at 11:34 p.m. local time and targeted a communications tower and caused some material losses.

Israel has kept silent about the strikes that came days after Damascus reported its air defences intercepted an Israeli missile attack above the Homs countryside, wounding six Syrian soldiers and causing some material damage. 

A statement by the so-called operations room of Assad's Iran-backed allies said the response to the strike would be "very cruel", adding casualties would have been much higher had its forces not been well spread across the desert area.

"As a result of this attack a number of martyrs and injured from our Mujahedeen brothers have fallen," the statement said without elaborating.

"We have taken a decision to respond to this attack in revenge for the martyrs and the blood of the injured and the response will be very cruel," said the statement published on pro-Iranian news outlets that Reuters verified for authenticity.