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UN Security Council slams deadly attacks in Syria, calls for negotiations

Xinhua, February 24, 2016 Adjust font size:

UN Security Council on Tuesday condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attacks in Homs and Damascus, Syria, on Feb. 21, which left more than 130 people dead and hundreds injured, said a press statement of the council.

The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for these attacks and the council reaffirmed its grave concern over IS and other groups operating in the region, and "condemned the negative impact of their presence, violent extremist ideology and actions on the stability of Syria, neighbouring countries and the region," said the statement.

The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice, it noted.

The 15-member body expressed its support for the efforts of the Secretary-General's Special Envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura, and underscored the need for the full implementation of the Munich Statement of the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) of Feb. 11, 2016.

The council also called for the resumption of negotiations between concerned parties under the auspices of the United Nations as soon as possible and for allowing immediate humanitarian assistance to reach all people in need, particularly in all the besieged and hard-to-reach areas.

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov reached a provisional agreement on terms of a nationwide cessation of hostilities in Syria, scheduled to come into effect on Feb. 27. More than 250,000 people have been killed since March 2011. Enditem