The United Nations today called an end to its observer mission in Syria, while activists reported more bloodletting in an attack on civilians in the main battleground of Aleppo.
The UN decision was announced as the international communitypiled the pressure on President Bashar al-Assad's embattled regime to end 17months of fighting that is now threatening to entangle neighbouring Lebanon.
"The conditions to continue UNSMIS were notfulfilled," France's UN ambassador Gerard Araud said after a New Yorkmeeting on the conflict, referring to the mission whose mandate is due to endat midnight Sunday.
Major powers have long been at odds how to end theincreasingly brutal battle for Syria, and the withdrawal of the observersfollows the collapse of a peace plan drawn up by outgoing peace envoy KofiAnnan.
On the ground, activists reported that Syrian forces shelleda group of people queuing outside a bakery in the eastern Qadi Askar districtof Aleppo, the city at the epicentre of the battle between the regime and armedrebels.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 10 people werekilled in the district, and that at least 99 had died in violence across thecountry today, most of them civilians.
Yesterday, around 40 people, including women and children,were killed in a massive air strike on civilians in the rebel bastion of Aazaz,just north of Aleppo, according to rights groups and residents.
Human Rights Watch urged the UN Security Council to imposean arms embargo on Syria after the air strike on Aazaz.
"Yet again, Syrian government forces attacked withcallous disregard for civilian life," it said.
