France concerned over Syria's Qusayr siege

The French government Sunday expressed deep concern over the fighting taking place in the Syrian town of Qusayr, which is under heavy siege by Syrian regime forces. The Foreign Ministry also called on the Damascus regime to avoid a new massacre of the civilian population. "France is extremely concerned by the situation in Qusayr and is worried about the consequences of a massive military action by the Damascus regime and its allies," a ministry statement said. Forces loyal to the regime of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad were pounding the northern Syrian town on Sunday and appeared to be preparing for a major assault. France called on "all actors in a position to avoid a new massacre of the Syrian civilian population to mobilise as quickly as possible." Paris also warned that major violence in Qusayr could harm efforts to organise a peace initiative that is under discussion between major powers, the Damascus regime and the opposition forces, mainly the Syrian National Coalition. "Any fresh violence seriously harms the hope of arriving at a political solution," the French statement said. The conflict in Syria has been ongoing for over two years now, killing more than 70,000 people and displacing millions others inside and outside the country.