SYRIA: UN Observers leave Syria as fighting continues

Record ID: 281087

  • Title: SYRIA: UN Observers leave Syria as fighting continues
  • Date: 22nd July 2012
  • Summary: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: RESENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT DAMASCUS, SYRIA (JULY 22, 2012) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) VARIOUS OF U.N. OBSERVERS OUTSIDE HOTEL OBSERVER HOLDING A LIST OF NAMES LIST VARIOUS OF OBSERVERS VARIOUS OF OBSERVERS PUTTING THEIR LUGGAGE INTO CARS VARIOUS OF OBSERVERS GETTING INTO CARS CAR LEAVING CARS IN THE HOTEL PARKING VARIOUS OF CARS LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 6th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVAEGWMXKNEL17K48431II5PS4S8
  • Story Text: U.N. observers prepared to depart from Syria for a second day on Sunday (July 22), following a unanimous vote by the Security Council to approve a 30-day extension of a small, unarmed observer mission for a further 30 days.
    The brief extension hoped to give a lifeline to a key part of international envoy Kofi Annan's faltering plan to end the 16-month conflict that has killed thousands of people.
    But battles across Syria continued to rage on Sunday, with Syrian rebels claiming to have captured a third border post with Turkey at Bab al-Salam, north of the city of Aleppo. Syrian government forces hammered Deir al-Zor with artillery and mortar fire while helicopters fired rockets into residential districts in an effort to prevent rebels from consolidating control over the major eastern city, witnesses said. It was the heaviest reported bombardment since the army stormed Deir al-Zor a year ago to crush street protests against President Bashar al-Assad.
    With little progress made in the five months since Annan was appointed by the United Nations and the African Union to try to end the Syria crisis, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has recommended shifting the emphasis of the work of the UNSMIS from monitoring the nonexistent truce to pursuing a political solution.
    Diplomats said only half of the 300 unarmed observers would be needed for Ban's suggested shift in focus. The rest would return to their home countries, but be ready to redeploy at short notice.
    ENDS
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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