A monitoring group has claimed there has been a 'large explosion' near Damascus International Airport early on Thursday morning.

A representantive from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there had been a blast powerful enough to be heard 25 kilometres away in the main city of Damascus.

There are no reported casualties from the incident, and the explosion is thought to have only caused damage to buildings in the area and resulted in fires.

While the cause is still unclear, local media has pinpointed it as the result of an Israeli airstrike.

An Israeli intelligence officer, Israel Katz, said in a radio interview the incident near Damascus would be "compatible" with Israel's policy to stop Iran's alleged illegal transfer of weapons through Syria.