More than 300 Israeli strikes on Syria since fall of Assad, reports say

Israeli warplanes have reportedly carried out hundreds of airstrikes across Syria, including on the capital, Damascus.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) says it has documented more than 310 strikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since the fall of the Assad regime on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the IDF confirmed it has troops operating in Syrian territory beyond the demilitarized buffer zone between Syria and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

It added that its strikes were to prevent weapons falling "into the hands of extremists" as Syria transitions to a post-Assad era.

Asked about the IDF strikes on Monday night, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said Israel was concerned only with defending its citizens.

"That's why we attack strategic weapons systems like, for example, remaining chemical weapons or long-range missiles and rockets in order that they will not fall into the hands of extremists," he said.

On Monday, the UN's chemical watchdog warns authorities in Syria to ensure that suspected stockpiles of chemical weapons are safe.

It is not known where or how many chemical weapons Syria has, but it's believed former President Bashar al-Assad kept stockpiles.

Israel's attacks come after Syrian rebel fighters captured the capital, Damascus, and toppled Bashar al-Assad's regime over the weekend. He and his father had been in power in the country since 1971.

Forces led by the Islamist opposition group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) entered Damascus in the early hours of Sunday, before appearing on state television to declare that Syria was now "free".

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