UN Peacekeeping Chief Report "Appalling" Situatuion in Syria

United Nations (ANTARA/Xinhua-OANA) - Herve Ladsous, the UN under- secretary-general for peacekeeping operations, on Tuesday described the recent situation in Syria, which has been plagued by a 14-month crisis, as "appalling." Ladsous, speaking at a press conference here, called that the recent surge of violence in Syria is an "absolutely appalling tragedy," saying that "this calls for an absolute need to bring an end to violence, and that the parties -- that is the government and the opposition forces in Syria, stop these senseless killings." "What happened in Houla was absolutely horrible, and let us not forget that there are also some terrorist groups which are operating in Syria with agendas of their own," he said. The UN Security Council, meeting in an emergency session on Sunday, added its voice to the condemnation by United Nations officials of the recent massacre of men, women and children in the central Syrian village of Houla. The 15-nation Council was briefed in a closed-door session by Ladsous as well as by video-link by General Robert Mood, head of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS), on the killings that took place on May 25 and in the early hours of May 26 of a reported 108 civilians, including more than 30 children. On Saturday, UN observers went to Houla, a village near Homs, and confirmed the killings as well as the wounding of hundreds of civilians. They also confirmed from an examination of ordnance that artillery and tank shells were fired in the area. Meanwhile, Ladsous went on to note that UN peacekeepers face constant elements of dangers on a daily basis, while announcing that the goal to deploy 300 unarmed observers to Syria has almost been reached. "This is an element of added risk for our brave people who are now practically at the 300 mark," he said. Ladsous confirmed that observers are currently patrolling eight cities in Syria and soon will be patrolling 11. "They do patrols," said Ladsous, under what he called "very difficult circumstances."(*)