UN chief calls for immediate cessation of hostilities in Syria

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for an immediate cessation of hostilities amid the recent escalation of violence in Syria.

Guterres is alarmed by the recent escalation of violence across northwest Syria, UN chief's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a daily press briefing on Monday.

The UN secretary-general called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, reminded all parties of their obligations under the international law, including the humanitarian law, and urged an immediate return to the UN-facilitated political process in line with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).

Guterres' statement came after Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group designated as terrorist group by the Security Council, and its allied opposition factions launched a major rebel offensive last week in northwest Syria's Aleppo and shifted front lines that had been static since 2020.

According to the UN spokesperson, there are reports of civilian casualties, displacement of tens of thousands of people, damage to civilian infrastructure and interruption in essential services and humanitarian aid.

The UN chief urged all parties to protect civilians and civilian objects, including by allowing safe passage to civilians fleeing hostilities.

Guterres emphasized the urgent need for all parties to seriously engage with his special envoy for Syria to chart a comprehensive path out of conflict in line with Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).

"Syrians have endured conflict for nearly 14 years. They deserve a political horizon that will deliver a peaceful future, not more bloodshed," he said.

On the same day, the Syrian army said it repelled a major offensive by rebel factions in the northern countryside of west-central Hama Province, according to Syrian state TV.

The army's operation thwarted the attack and reestablished control over key areas that had briefly fallen into rebel hands, according to the TV.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said rebel factions under the banner of "Deterring the Aggression" launched rocket attacks on neighborhoods in the city of Hama for the first time. The shelling hit the al-Baath neighborhood, killing six civilians and injuring others, the Observatory reported.

Syrian state TV also reported that air defenses in Hama confronted drones flying over the city, though no further details were provided.

Last Wednesday, rebel groups led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham launched a major offensive in the western countryside of Aleppo province. By Sunday, they had seized "large parts" of Aleppo city and were advancing southward toward Hama.

In response, the Syrian army announced intensified operations in Aleppo and Idlib provinces, claiming to have eliminated over 400 militants in the past 24 hours with Russian support.

(With input from Xinhua)