Government officials in Syria say Israeli airstrikes have killed dozens of people in the northern province of Aleppo.

A defense ministry statement on Friday says civilians and military personnel are among the dead.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says 36 soldiers were killed.

The Observatory says it's the largest ever death toll sustained by government forces in a single Israeli attack on Syrian territory.

The Israeli strikes targeted a weapons depot used by the Shia militant group Hezbollah, which has sought to support the Islamic group Hamas.

Reuters news agency quoted security sources as saying five Hezbollah fighters were killed.

Israeli forces refrained to comment when NHK asked if they were involved in the attacks.