DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Israel carried out a wave of heavy airstrikes across Syria as its troops pushed deeper into the country, a Syrian opposition war monitor said Tuesday. Israel denied that its forces were advancing toward Damascus after entering a buffer zone inside Syria following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad.

Associated Press reporters in the capital heard heavy airstrikes on the city and its suburbs overnight and into Tuesday. Photos circulating online showed destroyed rocket launchers, helicopters and fighter jets.

There was no immediate comment from the insurgent groups – led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) – that have taken control of much of the country. Their lightning-fast advance ended the Assad family’s fifty-year rule after nearly 14 years of civil war. There are concerns about what comes next.

“Damascus is more beautiful now”

Life in the capital is slowly returning to normal after the fall of Assad, who fled the country over the weekend and was granted political asylum in Russia.

Private banks have reopened on the instructions of the central bank, said Sadi Ahmad, who runs a branch in the posh Abu Rummaneh district. He said all of his employees have returned to work.

Shops also reopened in the city’s old Hamidiyeh market, where gunmen and civilians could buy things like perfume and ice cream. A clothing store owner, who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation, said he hoped vendors would no longer have to pay bribes to security officials.

At Bakdash, a famous ice cream parlor, a poster outside read: “Welcome to the rebels of free Syria.” Long live free Syria.”

“Damascus is more beautiful now,” said Maysoun Qurabi, who was shopping at the market. “It has a soul and people feel comfortable and safe.” Under Assad, she said, “people were hungry and scared. The regime was strong.”

The Israeli invasion is condemned

Immediately after the fall of Assad, Israeli troops moved into a roughly 400 square kilometer buffer zone within Syria that had been established after the 1973 Middle East war to prevent attacks on its citizens.

Israel has also said it is attacking suspected chemical weapons and heavy weapons sites to prevent them from falling into the hands of extremists. Individual attacks are rarely acknowledged by Israeli officials.

Israel has a long history of seizing territory in wars with its neighbors and occupying them indefinitely, citing security concerns. Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in the 1967 Middle East war and annexed them in a move that was not recognized internationally except by the United States.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has closely followed the conflict since the civil war erupted in 2011, said Israel had carried out more than 300 airstrikes across the country since rebels overthrew Assad.

The Observatory and Beirut-based channel Mayadeen TV, which has reporters in Syria, said Israeli troops were advancing on the Syrian side of the border with Lebanon and had come within 25 kilometers (15 miles) of Damascus, which the Israeli military denied .

Israel denies an advance towards Damascus

Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani, an Israeli military spokesman, said: “The reports circulating in the media about the alleged advance of Israeli tanks towards Damascus are false.” He said Israeli troops were stationed within the buffer zone to protect Israel.

The Israeli military had previously said troops would move into the buffer zone “and several other locations necessary for their defense.”

Israeli media, meanwhile, reported that the air force was systematically destroying Syria’s military installations to ensure that whoever rules the country next will have to rebuild them.

The operations “systematically destroyed all remnants of the escaped tyrant’s military,” wrote Yossi Yehoshua, the military correspondent for Israel’s largest daily, Yediot Ahronot.

“Dozens and dozens of targets, including weapons depots of various types, have been attacked in waves of attacks to prevent them from falling into enemy hands and posing a threat to Israel.” The air force “currently enjoys complete freedom of action,” he added.

Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia have condemned Israel’s invasion, accusing it of exploiting unrest in Syria and violating international law.

Turkey, which was one of the main supporters of the Syrian opposition to Assad, also condemned Israel’s advance. The Turkish Foreign Ministry accused Israel of “exhibiting an occupier mentality” at a time when the possibility of peace and stability was emerging in Syria.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Monday that Israel’s invasion was a violation of the 1974 withdrawal agreement and called on both Israel and Syria to abide by it.

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Mroue reported from Beirut and Lidman from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Sarah El Deeb in Damascus, Syria, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Türkiye, contributed to this report.

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Follow AP’s Syria coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/syria