UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate end to the military escalation in southwestern Syria, his spokesman said on Friday, after government forces this week ramped up their assault on opposition areas.
 
"The attacks have 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," Stephane Dujarric, Guterres' spokesman, said in a statement.