BEIRUT — Lebanon’s Islamist militant group Hezbollah “strongly” denounced Israel’s strike against its ally Syria and called for widespread condemnation of the “barbaric aggression.”

Iran-backed Hezbollah is “fully” supportive of Syria’s leadership, army, and people, the group said in a statement Thursday carried by the official National News Agency.

The statement said the attack was part of Israel’s attempts to “prevent any Arab or Islamic power from consolidating and improving its military and technological capabilities.”

The precise location of yesterday’s airstrike was unclear.

A Western official said the jets attacked Syrian trucks carrying anti-aircraft missiles for Hezbollah while Syria said the target was a defense research center in Jamraya, northwest of the capital, Damascus.

The United States, the European Union, and Israel consider Hezbollah to be a terrorist group.