UN says Syrian violence getting worse
The UN has warned that violence in Syria is getting worse as the military steps up assaults on civilians and government opposition is coordinating counterattacks.
Cartoon by Carlos Latuff 2011 wikimedia commons
“The secretary-general expresses his deep concern at the dangerous intensification of armed violence across Syria over the past several days, and the grave danger facing civilians in areas under fire,” Ban Ki-moon’s office said in a statement. “The bloodshed and fighting must stop at once.”
Al Jazeera reports that unarmed UN observers in Syria have reported an increased level of armed clashes between government and rebel forces.
Violence in Syria has spiked in recent weeks, as both sides ignore a peace plan crafted by UN-Arab league envoy Kofi Annan.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces are allegedly using “horrific tactics” including firing on civilians from airborne helicopters and deploying plainclothes “shabiha” militia, which the opposition has accused of slaughtering civilians in earlier attacks in the villages of Houla and al-Qubayr.
“If you talk to the opposition, they say the observers have not done anything,” Al Jazeera’s Rula Amin, reporting from neighbouring Lebanon, said.” “That’s why they have not abided by this plan, saying they cannot lay down their weapons and have to defend themselves.
“If you talk to government sources, they will say that the presence of observers give enough cover to the armed groups to regroup, to restructure, and be able to carry out deadly attacks against government security forces. It’s obvious both sides have given up on this plan.”
