Syrians said Israeli forces are within 25km of the capital Damascus, though they have denied they left the occupied Golan Heights.
Two regional security sources and one Syrian security source told Reuters on Tuesday that Israeli military forces reached the town of Qatana, located 10km into Syrian territory, east of the demilitarised zone that separates the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights from Syria.
Israel has moved to take advantage of the Sunday overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad and has been launching air strikes across Syria in what it says is an attempt to prevent advanced weaponry falling into the wrong hands.
Like the invasions and occupations of Poland and Czechoslovakia were “forward defences” of Nazi Germany, of course.