Secretary-General Condemns Terrorist Attack on Syrian Prime Minister’s Convoy,

Warns against Further Militarization, Radicalization of Conflict

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General condemns the terrorist attack on the convoy of Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi in Damascus earlier today, which resulted in deaths and injuries.  He expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and wishes those injured a speedy recovery.

The Secretary-General has consistently condemned all acts of terrorism.  The targeting of civilians and civilian objects by anyone is unacceptable.  The Secretary-General remains extremely worried at the continued escalation of violence in Syria, where civilians continue to be killed, injured, detained and abducted every day, including most recently the kidnapping of two prominent clerics in northern Syria.

The Secretary-General has repeatedly stressed that all violence must end immediately, all sides in the Syrian conflict should move towards a political solution, and all should stop supplying weapons to any side in Syria.  Syria does not need a further militarization and radicalization of the conflict.  What Syria urgently needs instead isdialogue and reconciliation.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record