The assailants also ransacked the offices of the Al-Ikhbariya channel, the news agency added, without immediately giving more details on the attack.

The channel remained on the air despite the reported assault, a fact hailed by state television.

"Despite the barbarity of the terrorists' crime and their attempt to silence the voice of Syria... Al-Ikhbariya is still broadcasting," it said in a commentary.

A pro-government television channel was among the organisations hit by the latest round of EU sanctions against the Syrian authorities imposed on Monday. The 27-nation bloc had already imposed sanctions on the state broadcast media.

Washington put the state broadcaster on its sanctions blacklist in March.