It signals that Israel will continue striking across its borders despite the election defeat of US President Donald Trump, who has supported an aggressive posture from his Israeli allies.

Israel said it was retaliating toe what it called an Iranian sponsored operation in which Syrians planted explosives near an Israeli military base in the occupied Golan Heights.

Footage released by the Israeli defense force shows its troops operating in the area.

Israel has frequently attacked what it says are Iranian linked targets in Syria in recent years, but Wednesday's attack struck a far wider range of targets than usual.

The Israeli military was also much more forthcoming about the details, suggesting a clear intention to send a public message.

Trump has been a strong backer of Israeli military intervention against Iranian forces in Syria.

President elect Joe Biden has said he will try to revive a nuclear agreement with Iran that Trump abandoned.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 10 people were killed, including five Iranians from the elite Quds Force as well as a least two Shiite militiamen who may have been Lebanese or Iraqi.

A commander in an alliance of regional forces backing Damascus denied there were Iranians or Lebanese among the casualties.

Syria's government has never publicly acknowledged that there are Iranian forces operating on its behalf in Syria's civil war, saying Tehran only has military advisers on the ground.