(BSS/AFP) - Israel bombed Syrian army positions south of Aleppo on Thursday, the latest such strikes since the overthrow of longtime strongman Bashar al-Assad, a war monitor and local residents said.

Residents reported hearing huge explosions in the area, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes targeted defence and research facilities.

The observatory said that "at least seven massive explosions were heard, resulting from an Israeli airstrike on defence factories... south of Aleppo."

There was no immediate information on whether the strikes caused any casualties.

A resident of the al-Safira area told AFP on condition of anonymity: "They hit defence factories, five strikes... The strikes were very strong. It made the ground shake, doors and windows opened -- the strongest strikes I ever heard... It turned the night into day."

Since Islamist-led rebels overthrew Assad in early December, Israel has conducted hundreds of strikes on Syrian military assets, saying they are aimed at preventing military weapons from falling into hostile hands.