Syria’s Prime Minister said on Monday that the majority of cabinet ministers continue to work from their offices in Damascus, even after rebels overthrew Bashar Assad and entered the capital at the weekend. Refugees from nearby countries crossed into Syria in hopes of a peaceful future.

There were signs that the rebel alliance, now in charge of a large part of the country and led by an ex-al-Qaida senior militant who cut ties years ago with the extremists group and promised a representative government and tolerance of religions, would face difficulties. The rebel command announced Monday that they would not dictate to women what to wear.

Israel has said that it will carry out airstrikes against suspected chemical weapons sites as well as long-range missiles in order to prevent them from falling into extremists’ hands. Israel also took over a buffer zone in Syria after the withdrawal of Syrian troops.

In northern Syria the Turkish government said that allied opposition forces seized Manbij, a town from Kurdish forces backed up by the United States. This is a reminder that the country, even after Assad left for Russia, remains divided among armed factions that have fought before.

The Kremlin announced that President Vladimir Putin had granted political asylum for Assad. Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin’s spokesperson, declined to comment about Assad’s exact location and said that Putin did not plan to meet him.

Damascus was calm on Monday. Life slowly returned to normal, and most shops and public establishments were closed. Some people still celebrated in public squares. Public transport was not available. Civil traffic resumed, but it was still a mess. There were long queues in front of food stores and bakeries.

Associated Press journalists saw a few SUVs parked on the side of a major boulevard, which appeared to be broken into.

In certain areas, there were small groups of armed people stationed on the streets. In a video that circulated online, a man wearing military fatigues and holding a rifle tried to assure residents of the Mezzeh district in Damascus they wouldn’t be hurt.

The fighter stated, “We do not have anything against Alawites, Christians, Shiites, Druzes, or Christians, but we expect everyone to behave themselves and that no one attacks us.”

Prime Minister says government still functional

The Prime Minister Mohammed Ghazi Jalali has tried to portray a normal life after Assad, and many of his top officials, disappeared over the weekend.

He told Sky News Arabia TV that he was working to make the transition period quick and easy. The security situation, he said, had improved since the previous day.

He said that the government was coordinating with insurgents and that he would be ready to meet rebel Ahmad al-Sharaa – formerly Abu Mohammed al-Golani – who made an appearance at the famed Damascus Mosque on Sunday.

Syrians, who just a few days earlier were employed at all levels in the government of Assad, were adjusting to their new reality.

Khitam Haddad said that the judges are ready to resume their work at the court of Justice of Damascus. He was an aide of the Justice Minister in the previous government.

Haddad, speaking outside the courthouse, said: “We want everyone to have their rights.” “We want a new Syria, and we will continue the work but with new methods.”

Rebels said, however, that they would respect women’s personal freedoms, and not force them to wear Islamic clothing. The General Command stated on social media that it was “strictly forbidden” to interfere with women’s dress, or to impose any requests related to their appearance or clothing. This includes requests for modesty.

Separately, a Syrian war monitor reported that a top aide of Assad’s younger brother, Maher was found dead near Damascus in his office. On social media, a video purportedly showing Maj. Gen. Ali Mahmoud with his clothes and body covered in blood was circulated. The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights stated that it was unclear if he died from suicide or was murdered.

Maher Assad was the commander of the 4th Armored Division in the Syrian army. This division played a key role in the civil conflict that erupted after a 2011 uprising led to a violent crackdown against dissent.

Israel confirms that it has destroyed suspected chemical weapons and rockets

Israelis have welcomed the fall Assad who was a close ally of Iran, and Lebanon’s Hezbollah militants group. However, they are concerned about what will happen next. Israel claims its forces have temporarily taken control of a buffer zone in Syria that dates back to 1974 after Syrian troops left the country amid chaos.

Gideon Saar, the Israeli Foreign Minister, told reporters Monday that “the only interest we have are Israel and its citizens.” “That is why we destroyed strategic weapon systems like remaining chemical weapons or long-range rockets and missiles to prevent them from falling into the hands of terrorists.”

Saar has not provided any details on when or where these strikes occurred.

A journalist from the Associated Press in Damascus said that airstrikes were reported in the area around the Mezzeh airport southwest of Damascus on Sunday. Israel has targeted the airport in previous airstrikes. On Monday, there were also strikes in the capital.

Israel has conducted hundreds of airstrikes on Syria over the past few years. It claims to have targeted military sites associated with Iran and Hezbollah. Israeli officials rarely make comments on specific strikes.

Syria agreed to surrender its chemical weapons in 2013 after it was accused by the government of carrying out an attack near Damascus which killed hundreds. It is believed that some weapons were kept and the government was accused of using these weapons again in later years.

Turkey claims its allies have taken north town

Officials from Turkey, the main supporter for the Syrian opposition against Assad, claim that its allies have seized full control of Manbij, a northern Syrian city, from a U.S. supported and Kurdish led force called the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

SDF reported that a Turkish drone had struck the village of al-Mistriha, in eastern Syria. The attack killed 12 civilians including six children.

Turkey sees the SDF as an extension to the banned Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which has been fighting a long-running insurgency against the Turkish government for decades. The SDF is also a key ally for the United States against the Islamic State group.

Hakan Fidan, the Turkish Foreign Minister, expressed his hope on Monday for a new era of peace in Syria where ethnic and religious groups could live together peacefully under a government that was inclusive. He warned against Kurdish or Islamic State fighters taking advantage of the situation and said that Turkey would prevent Syria from becoming a “haven” for terrorism.