Washington
Reuters reported on Sunday that the United States and Russia have formally requested a UN Security Council session to address the escalating situation in Syria.
Citing diplomatic sources, Reuters stated that Moscow and Washington urged the Security Council to discuss the recent clashes on Syria’s coast, particularly in the provinces of Tartus and Latakia. According to the report, the session is scheduled for Monday.
Yesterday, the U.S. State Department condemned civilian casualties inflicted by “Islamist militants” during the ongoing battles in western Syria.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio denounced the killings, emphasizing that the perpetrators must be held accountable. “It is the duty of the new Syrian administration to ensure justice and put an end to human rights violations against civilians immediately,” Rubio stated.
Read also: Reactions to Escalating Clashes in Syria’s Coastal Regions
According to Rubio, Washington stands in solidarity with Syria’s minority communities, including Christians, Druze, Alawites, and Kurds.
The UN Human Rights Commission also called for an immediate halt to the killing of civilians in Syria’s coastal regions, citing reports of “sectarian-based executions.”
Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights SOHR reported that the death toll from the ongoing clashes in western Syria has reached 1,311 within the past 72 hours. The organization stated that around 830 civilians have been executed or summarily killed since Thursday.
Read also: Security Forces Accused of Killing 125 Civilians in Syria Amid Escalating Clashes
According to the Observatory, 231 members of the General Security and Military Operations Administration have been killed, while 250 fighters affiliated with “Assad regime remnants” have also lost their lives.
