U.N. Chief Urges Civilians Be Able to Leave Qusayr

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday demanded that both sides battling for the strategic Syrian town of Qusayr allow civilians to flee the fighting, his spokesman said.

"He urges all sides to do their utmost to avoid civilian casualties," Ban's spokesman, Martin Nesirky, said in a statement.

"He also reminds the government of its responsibility to protect civilians who come under its control, including from the threat of militias. He calls on the warring parties to allow trapped civilians to escape the town."

Ban's comments came as the Syrian army, backed by Hizbullah fighters from neighboring Lebanon, bolstered its positions in Qusayr, as rebels prepared for a renewed assault, raising fears for trapped civilians.

Qusayr, which is considered a key prize by both the regime and the rebels, sits on the route between the capital Damascus and the coast, near the Lebanese border, providing a key rebel conduit for weapons and fighters.

Ban warned that as preparations for an international conference on Syria intensify, all parties to the conflict "will be held accountable for any acts of atrocity carried out against the civilian population of Qusayr."