- UN Calls To End Escalation Southwestern Syria

-  The UN Secretary-General's Spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, said in a statement released on Friday that Secretary-General António Guterres expresses his deep concern of " civilians caught up in an escalation of fighting across southwestern Syria, close to the border with Jordan".

The statement said "an uptick in conflict involving both ground offensives and aerial bombardments had resulted in the displacement of thousands of civilians, the majority of whom are moving towards the Jordanian border".

“The Secretary-General is also concerned at the significant risks these offensives pose to regional security”, the statement continued.

The UN chief called for “an immediate end to the current military escalation” and urged all parties to the more than seven-year war, “to respect their obligations under international law and international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.”

“Recalling the de-escalation and ceasefire arrangements that have provided relative calm in southwestern Syria over the past year, the Secretary-General urges all to exercise restraint and uphold these commitments as a matter of priority,” the statement concluded.