Ban: Syrian civil war takes 'brutal turn'

The conflict in Syria has taken "a particularly brutal turn" as government forces continue attacks on populated areas, the U.N. secretary-general said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon briefed members of the U.N. Security Council on the ongoing crisis in Syria. He said the longer it takes to find a political solution to the crisis, the more difficult long-term reconstruction will become. The situation in Syria is much worse than it was when he issued his last report in August, he said. "The conflict has taken a particularly brutal turn. Syrian government forces continue indiscriminate shelling of densely populated areas with heavy weapons, tanks and air assets," he said. "Opposition groups have stepped up military activity." Ban said all parties, including the Syrian government and members of the Security Council, had a responsible to address the crisis peacefully. Frustration with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad is growing despite divisions among members of the Security Council. Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi said it was time that Assad stepped aside. Ban added that the continued militarization of the conflict in Syria was having tragic consequences. "The Syrian people have waited too long," he said. "And now the entire region is being engulfed by the complex dynamics of the conflict."