United Nations: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has condemned bomb attack near a convoy of the UN Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS). He warned that such attacks could impact observers’ mission in the region.
“The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the recent increase in the detonation of explosive devices throughout Syria. Such incidents, in addition to the continued violence reported in many cities in Syria, call into question the commitment of the parties to the cessation of violence and may have a direct impact on the future of the Mission,” said Ban’s spokesperson in a statement.
An improvised explosive device was detonated at a Syrian military checkpoint near Dar’a town in Southern Syria on Wednesday. The explosion took place close to a military checkpoint. There were no United Nations casualties or any damage to United Nations vehicles. The Syrian Government reported that the explosion resulted in the injury of ten Syrian soldiers.
“The Secretary-General strongly condemns this attack and calls on all parties to adhere to the cessation of violence and to cooperate with, support and protect the UNSMIS observers."
"This mission and the efforts of the Joint Special Envoy are possibly the only remaining chance to stabilize the country and avert a civil war,” the spokesperson warned.
He added, “We have no evidence to believe that the explosion was intended to target the United Nations Supervision Mission in Syria (UNSMIS) convoy; however, this incident demonstrates the difficult and challenging conditions under which our United Nations observers are operating. It also demonstrates the volatile and dangerous situation in which the Syrian people have been living for months.”