Neither Israel nor the United States has furnished "any evidence at all" to prove that the Syrian site bombed in early September was a secret nuclear facility, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency told CNN.

"That to me is very distressful because we have a system: if countries have information that the country is working on a nuclear-related program, they should come to us. We have the authority to go out and investigate," he said.

"But to bomb first and then ask questions later, I think it undermines the system and it doesn't lead to any solution to any suspicion, because we are the eyes and ears of the international community."

Israel has said it bombed a military target inside Syria on September 6 but has provided no more details, amid speculation that the target may have been a site storing nuclear materials from North Korea.

ElBaradei said he had been told by Syria that the site was a military facility and "has nothing to do with nuclear."

"And I would hope if anybody has information, before they take the law into their own hands, to come and pass the information on," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has meanwhile acknowledged that Israeli warplanes may have violated Turkey's air space during the incursion into Syria, an official said Sunday.

Olmert apologized to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan when the two men met in London on Tuesday, the Israeli official said.

Turkey had demanded an explanation from Israel after it was embarrassed by the discovery of jettisoned fuel tanks on its territory in the aftermath of the raid.

US officials have also stayed tight-lipped about the Israeli raid.

Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill said last week that Washington would keep an eye on reports North Korea may be selling nuclear know-how, but declined to discuss allegations Pyongyang had offered nuclear help to Syria.

At a congressional hearing Thursday, Hill faced tough questioning by lawmakers who questioned the US administration's diplomatic approach with North Korea in light of the allegations surrounding Syria.

Hill said he could not discuss North Korea's alleged role in Syria's nuclear program at an open hearing because that information was "classified."

But ElBaradei said that only the IAEA, through inspections of Syrian facilities, was in a position to conclusively say whether the country is pursuing a nuclear program.

"If Syria were working on a nuclear program, clandestine program, then we'd obviously be able to draw the consequences. But today I don't know where to go. I didn't get any information," he told CNN.

Commercial satellite images appear to show that a building in Syria that analysts believe may have held a nuclear reactor has been razed since the Israeli air strike.

The Institute for Science and International Security posted imagery on its website taken October 24 by DigitalGlobe that it said "effectively confirms that this site was indeed the target of the Israeli raid."

It said the images raise questions about whether Syria is in violation of its agreements with the IAEA under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

ElBaradei said that the UN agency was still studying the satellite pictures and stressed it was premature to draw a link to North Korea.

"But in addition to us buying commercial photos, I would very much hope that countries will come forward if they have information so we'll go through a due process," he said.

related report
Olmert apologised to Turkey over Syria raid
Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has acknowledged for the first time that Israeli warplanes may have violated Turkey's air space during a raid on Syria last month, an official said Sunday.

Olmert apologised to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan when the two men met in London on Tuesday, the official said.

"If in fact Israeli planes penetrated Turkey's air space it was never meant intentionally or in any event to damage or hurt Turkey's sovereignty which we respect," Olmert said, according to an Israeli official present at the meeting.

During the meeting Olmert "expressed Israel's apologies to the Turkish government and the Turkish people for any damage caused," the official added.

Israel had previously confirmed it launched an air raid against a military target inside Syria on September 6 but has provided no additional details, amid speculation that the target may have been a site storing nuclear materials.

Turkey had demanded an explanation from Israel after it was embarrassed by the discovery of jettisoned fuel tanks on its territory in the aftermath of the raid.

Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said during a visit to Syria that he was astonished by newspaper reports that Turkey had prior notice of the raid and allowed its airspace to be used by the Israeli jets.

Turkey would never allow its territory to be used for an act "hostile to the security of Syria," he said.