A man looks out into the Lebanese border at the border crossing point of Masnaa between Syria and Lebanon on Sunday morning. Dozens of Syrians lined to enter the Lebanese border on Sunday morning. Photo: Yang Jingjie/GT

Global Times reporters Sunday morning entered Syria through the Lebanese border crossing point of Masnaa.

At around 9 am, dozens of sedans and buses lined outside the crossing point, with dozens of people queuing to enter Lebanon. Opposite the Lebanese immigration office, two UN Human Rights Council tents were being built.

Meanwhile, at the Syrian border point, more people, mostly Syrians, lined up to enter the country. Vehicles were also constantly seen entering Syria.

The route to Damascus is under the control of government forces. During the nearly one-hour drive to downtown Damascus, the Global Times reporters passed five checkpoints and spotted scattered tanks at the suburbs.

Inside Damascus, fortifications could be seen around the defense ministry buildings. A local source told the Global Times that staff members had been moved out of the buildings in anticipation of possible US-led strikes.

Life in downtown Damascus seemed normal on Sunday, with traffic jams seen during noon time and rush hours. The local source said there had been few people and vehicles on the streets during the past two days. "After the Obama speech, people returned to the streets," he said.

However, tension could still be felt in the city, where ambulances continued to blare through the downtown area.

At the Four Seasons Hotel in the downtown area, where most UN staff members and reporters are staying, vehicles must go through two rounds of bomb checks before entering.

Syria TV, the national broadcaster, has suspended entertainment content, and ran continuous news programs and promos showing its military might.

Meanwhile, from a high-rise building in the downtown area, the Global Times reporters spotted smoke rising in a southwest suburb on several occasions, but it couldn't be immediately verified whether there had been exchange of fire between government forces and rebels.