Britain, France, US seek urgent Security Council meeting on Syria

Move follows bombardment of dense civilian areas by regime forces that critics say may amount to war crimes

By AFP 25 September 2016, 4:16 am
US Secretary of State John Kerry speaks during a UN Security Council meeting, at UN headquarters in New York, on September 21, 2016. (AP/Julie Jacobson)

Britain, France and the United States have requested an urgent UN Security Council meeting on the escalating campaign in Syria’s largest city of Aleppo, diplomats said Saturday.

The meeting is likely to be held at 10 am New York time on Sunday, the diplomats said.

Intense air strikes toppled buildings and killed at least 45 civilians in Aleppo on Saturday, two days after the Syrian army announced an offensive to retake the rebel-held east of the city.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier said he was appalled by the “chilling” upsurge in fighting in Aleppo and warned that the use of advanced weaponry in the battleground city could amount to war crimes.

A Syrian man carries the body of an infant retrieved from under the rubble of a building following a reported airstrike on September 23, 2016, on the al-Muasalat area in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo. (AFP PHOTO/THAER MOHAMMED)

Ban cited reports of air strikes involving the use of incendiary weapons, bunker buster bombs and other powerful munitions in the offensive launched by the Syrian army two days ago to recapture the city.

He warned that “the apparent systematic use of these types of indiscriminate weapons in densely populated areas may amount to war crimes,” a statement from his spokesman said.

A weeklong ceasefire agreed between the United States and Russia ended on Monday and efforts to revive the truce failed.

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