The announcement came as Israel staged a missile attack drill that was to wind down on Thursday.

A cabinet meeting chaired by Syrian Prime Minister Mohammed Naji Otri examined "measures to be taken by the civil defense in the coming days to organize an exercise" covering the whole of Syria, said Ath-Thawra newspaper.

It said Defense Minister General Hassan Turkmani stressed "the importance of such training... to cope with disasters and minimize the damage," adding that the army would help.

Amid tensions in the region, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert sought to reassure Syria and Lebanon on Sunday that his country did not want its major missile attack drill to worsen tensions along their common borders.