UN chief calls for restraint on Syrian issue

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday appealed for restraint on the Syria issue after the United States conducted missile strikes against a Syrian military airbase.

"Mindful of the risk of escalation, I appeal for restraint to avoid any acts that could deepen the suffering of the Syrian people," said a statement made by Guterres. ' Guterres also noted that the UN Security Council has the primary responsibility for international peace and security, saying that "I call on the Council to unite and exercise that responsibility."

"For too long, international law has been ignored in the Syrian conflict, and it is our shared duty to uphold international standards of humanity," Guterres noted.

"This is a prerequisite to ending the unrelenting suffering of the people of Syria," he added.

The United States launched nearly 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the Shairat military base in central Syria, marking the U.S. response to an alleged chemical attack on Tuesday in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun in the country's northwestern province of Idlib.

The United States believed that Syrian planes based at the Shairat airbase carried out the chemical attack which killed over 80 people and wounded scores of others.

The Syrian government denied the accusation, saying its air strikes hit a rebel depot containing chemical materials.

Before the U.S. missile strikes, the UN Security Council concluded closed-door negotiations on draft resolutions demanding a probe into the chemical attack with no results. ' Guterres said he was abhorred by the chemical attack and said "there needs to be accountability for such crimes, in line with existing international norms and Security Council resolutions."

He also said a political solution is the only way to solve the Syrian conflict and remains essential in the fight against terrorism.

In this regard, he called on parties to urgently renew their commitment to making progress in the Geneva talks on the Syria issue. Endi