Hillary Clinton has warned that Russia is sending attack helicopters into Syria, as the United Nations peacekeeping chief says the country is now in a full-scale civil war.
The US Secretary of State expressed concerns over reports that Russia is supporting
Syrian President Bashar Assad's regime, which could fuel tensions further.
She said: "We have confronted the Russians about stopping their continued arms shipments to Syria.
"They have, from time to time, said that we shouldn't worry -
everything they are shipping is unrelated to their (the Syrian
government's) actions internally. That's patently untrue.
"And we are concerned about the latest information we have that there
are attack helicopters on the way from Russia to Syria, which will
escalate the conflict quite dramatically."
Her comments come as the UN's Herve Ladsous said violence in the country is escalating.
Asked if the situation in Syria warrants civil war, he said: "Yes I think we can say that.
"Clearly what is happening is that the
government of Syria lost some large chunks of territory, several cities to the opposition, and wants to retake control.
"There is a massive increase in the level of violence."
He also referred to the use of helicopters in the government's attempts to recapture districts taken by the opposition.
Mr Ladsous said: "Now we have confirmed reports of not only the use of tanks and artillery but also attack helicopters.
"This is really becoming large-scale."
He is the first senior UN official to declare the conflict a civil war.
Moscow has consistently rejected the use of outside force to end the
uprising against Assad's 40-year regime, and insists that any arms it
supplies are not being used to quell anti-government dissent.
The two countries have a long-standing military relationship, with
Syria hosting Russia's only naval base on the Mediterranean Sea.
If Russia is sending
Syria attack helicopters, it would deal a serious blow to efforts to starve
government troops of supplies.
The town of Haffa has been one of the areas worst-hit by the escalation in violence.
Syrian Free Army rebels withdrew from the area following bombardment by government troops, a rebel spokesman said.
Angry crowds blocked UN observers from reaching area.
Monitors said they were met with gunfire and their vehicles had
stones and metal rods thrown at them, although no one was injured.
The Red Cross has said the situation is deteriorating in several
parts of Syria simultaneously making it impossible to respond to all
humanitarian needs at once.
Troops also stepped up attacks on the central city of Homs and its suburbs , pounding rebel positions.
But Foreign Secretary William Hague has said he does not want to resort to military intervention .
"This is reminiscent of Bosnia in the early nineties so I don't think
we should think about it in terms of the Libya situation last year," he
said.
"All our efforts are going into supporting a peaceful transition in
Syria and a peaceful solution, because any violent solution would
clearly involve many more deaths and a great deal more hardship for the
Syrian people."
Και μου ήρθε στο μυαλό αυτό
We stand, hang our heads disbelieving
then not knowing how could such a thing be wrong
we wonder just what they must be thinking
to take a life of one so young
So tell me when will it be over now, how soon?
how far must we go, to prove to you?
We wait and we wonder how this happened
killing the old, the innocent, the young
while sons follow in fathers footsteps not understanding
that what they do could somehow be so wrong
So tell me when will it be over now, how soon?
how far must we go, to prove to you?
So we will wait and we'll wonder
No regrets, no forgiveness, no compasssion
these brave heroes only know to hit and run
slowly my sadness turns to rage and we wonder
how can these scars ever heal, when all is said and done
So tell me when will it be over now, how soon?
how many tears must fall to prove to you?
please tell me, when will it be over now, how soon?
and how far must they go, to prove to you?
So we wait and we wonder
