UN chief 'alarmed' by resumption of recent conflict in Syria

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is "alarmed" by the escalating conflict in northwestern Syria and urges all parties to immediately cease hostilities, said his spokesman on Monday.

"Secretary-General is indeed alarmed by the recent escalation of violence across northwest Syria. He calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities, reminds all the parties of their obligation under international law, including international humanitarian law," Stephane Dujarric said at a news conference.

Dujarric also said that Guterres called for an urgent return to the political process in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2254 that outlines a roadmap for peace.

He said that attacks carried out by Hay'et Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), a group sanctioned by the UN Security Council, and some "armed opposition groups" have led to changes in boundaries that had remained stable since 2020.

Noting the reports of civilian deaths, displacement, and damage to civilian infrastructure due to the latest escalations, Dujarric said: "Syrians have endured the conflict for nearly 14 years. They deserve a political horizon that will deliver a peaceful future, not more bloodshed."

He further recalled Guterres' call on all parties to immediately end the hostilities and maintain communication with the UN chief's envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen.

Asked about the safety of UN staff on the ground, Dujarric said all UN staff have been reported safe, adding: "We have both national and international staff in those areas, and we are taking the necessary precautions."

Clashes broke out on Nov. 27 between Assad regime forces and anti-regime armed groups in the western countryside of Aleppo in northern Syria, marking a re-escalation of the fighting after a period of relative calm in the civil war that has gripped Syria since it erupted in 2011.