UN envoy warns war in Syria ‘far from over’ as US says truce extended | Syrian war news

The UN special envoy to Syria has warned that the war is “far from over” despite opposition fighters ousting President Bashar al-Assad, highlighting clashes between Turkish-backed armed groups and Kurdish fighters in the north of the country.

“There were significant hostilities in the last two weeks, before the ceasefire was brokered,” Geir Pedersen told the UN Security Council in New York on Tuesday, warning that a military escalation could be “catastrophic.”

The statements come later Syrian National Army The Syrian National Army, a group of fighters backed by Türkiye, clashed with the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces following Assad’s ouster.

The Syrian Democratic Forces are the main ally in the US-led coalition against ISIS. It is led by the People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Ankara sees as an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militant group it bans and which has been fighting the Turkish state for 40 years.

Last week, Syrian National Army fighters captured the northern city of Manbij from the Syrian Democratic Forces, which then headed east of the Euphrates River as a US-brokered ceasefire took effect.

Shortly after Pedersen delivered a speech before the UN Security Council, a US State Department spokesman said that the ceasefire in northern Syria had been extended until the end of this week.

“We continue to work with the Syrian Democratic Forces and with Turkey on the way forward,” State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said, adding that it was not in any party’s interest to see the conflict in Syria increase.

He added: “We do not want to see any party exploiting the current unstable situation to achieve its narrow interests at the expense of the broader Syrian national interest.”

Netanyahu visits the Golan

Pedersen also called on the UN Security Council to ensure that Israel “stops all settlement activities in the occupied Syrian Golan.”

Pedersen pointed out that Israel carried out more than 350 air strikes on Syria after the departure of the former regime, including an air strike. Big strike On Tartous.

He added: “Such attacks expose the affected civilian population to greater risks and undermine the prospects for an orderly political transition.”

The UN envoy warned of the plans announced by the Israeli government to expand settlements inside the Golan, which Israel has occupied since 1967 and annexed in 1981.

On Tuesday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security briefing inside the UN-guarded buffer zone in the West Bank. Golan Heights Which was captured by Israel earlier this month.

“Israel must stop all settlement activities in the occupied Syrian Golan, which are illegal. Attacks on Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must stop,” Pedersen said.

“Israel is looking to launch as many strikes (as possible) while still having the freedom to do so,” Rob Guest Pinfold, professor of peace and security at Durham University, told Al Jazeera.

He pointed out that “Israel is increasing the state of instability (due to) its fear of a power vacuum and ungoverned spaces on its borders.”

Guest Pinfold also said that “the response from the international community has certainly been lackluster so far.”

Penalties

Pedersen also called for “broad support” to end Western-backed sanctions imposed on Syria in order to allow reconstruction in Syria. Which was destroyed by war nation.

“Concrete action on a comprehensive political transition will be key to ensuring that Syria gets the economic support it needs,” Pedersen said.

“The needs are enormous and can only be addressed with broad-based support, including a smooth end to sanctions, appropriate action on designations as well, and full reconstruction.”

Western countries are grappling with their approach Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham), which led the takeover of Damascus, is formerly affiliated with Al-Qaeda.

Despite moderating its rhetoric in recent months, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham has been designated a “terrorist” group by several Western governments.