Israel pounds Syrian army bases, denies deeper incursion

Israel pounded Syrian army bases on Tuesday in strikes it says aim to keep weapons from falling into hostile hands, but denied its forces had advanced into Syria beyond a buffer zone at the border.

In the Syrian capital, banks reopened for the first time since the overthrow of President Bashar Al Assad, in a major step towards restoring normal life. Shops were reopening, traffic returned to the roads, construction workers were back fixing a roundabout in the city centre and street cleaners were out sweeping the streets.

Since Assad's flight on Sunday ended more than five decades of his family's rule, Israeli troops moved into a demilitarised zone inside Syria established following a 1973 war. Israel calls the incursion a temporary measure to ensure border security.

Three security sources said on Tuesday the Israelis had advanced beyond the demilitarised zone. One Syrian source said they had reached the town of Qatana, several kilometres to the east of the buffer zone and just a short drive from Damascus airport.

But an Israeli military spokesperson said troops had not left the demilitarised zone.

"The reports circulating in the media about the alleged advancement of Israeli tanks towards Damascus are false. IDF troops are stationed within the buffer zone, as stated in the past," an official from the Israeli Defence Forces said.

Israel says it is not seeking conflict with the new authorities in Syria, but its jets have been bombing targets across the country over the past three days to ensure Syrian military equipment does not fall into hostile hands.

Regional security sources and officers within the now fallen Syrian army described Tuesday morning's air strikes as the heaviest yet, hitting military installations and airbases across Syria, destroying dozens of helicopters and jets, as well as Republican Guard assets in and around Damascus.

The rough tally of 200 raids overnight had left nothing of the Syrian army's assets, said the sources.

Egypt, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have condemned the Israeli incursion. Saudi Arabia said the move would "ruin Syria's chances of restoring security".

Israel said its airstrikes would carry on for days but told the UN Security Council that it was not intervening in Syria's conflict. It said it had taken "limited and temporary measures" solely to protect its security.

With the mood in Damascus still celebratory, Assad's prime minister, Mohammed Jalali, on Monday agreed to hand power to the rebel-led Salvation Government, an administration previously based in a pocket of rebel-held territory in northwest Syria.

"This is an incredible moment for the Syrian people," Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said in New York. "We're really focused right now on trying to see where the situation goes. Can there be a governing authority in Syria that respects the rights and dignities of the Syrian population?"