U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and international envoy Kofi Annan have called on Syria to allow U.N. monitors to enter a rebellious northwestern town where the United States fears Syrian security forces are planning to massacre civilians.
Syrian activists and residents of Al-Haffeh say government helicopters and tanks have been attacking the town in Latakia province, trapping many civilians. In a statement released late Monday, Mr. Ban said it is important for U.N. observers to be granted "unimpeded access" to Al-Haffeh. Earlier, Mr. Annan had expressed "grave concern" about the situation in the town and "demanded" that the monitors be allowed to enter "immediately."
U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Washington is deeply alarmed about reports from inside Syria that government forces "may be organizing" massacres in Al-Haffeh and other opposition strongholds, including the Damascus suburbs, Daraa, Deir el-Zour, Hama and Homs.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nationwide attacks by government and rebel forces killed at least 63 civilians and 21 troops on Monday.