U.S. condemns Hezbollah's intervention in Syrian conflict

The United States on Monday denounced Hezbollah for siding with the Syrian government forces in their battle against the rebels in Syria's central city of al-Qussair.

State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said his country condemned the "direct intervention" by the Shiite militant group in neighboring Lebanon, as its fighters were playing "a significant role" in the government's offensive in al-Qussair.

"We reject Hezbollah's efforts to escalate violence inside Syria and incite instability in Lebanon," he told reporters at a regular press briefing.

"We continue to fully support Lebanon's stated policy of disassociation from the Syrian crisis and urge all parties in the region to act with restraint and respect for Lebanon's stability and security," he added.

Washington has branded Hezbollah as a terrorist group allied with Iran and the Syrian government headed by President Bashar al-Assad.

In an interview published Sunday, al-Assad denied allegations that Hezbollah has helped fight the rebels.

Ventrell also slammed the Syrian government's "intense air and artillery strikes" on al-Qussair over the weekend, accusing it of "deliberately" provoking sectarian tensions through its assaults.

"We reject the regime's use of sectarian-driven war to divide the Syrian people," he said.

Also on Monday, U.S. President Barack Obama called his Lebanese counterpart Michel Sleiman to stress his concern about Hezbollah's "active and growing role" in Syria, the White House said.

Government forces and opposition fighters, supported by some Western countries, have engaged in fierce clashes recently around al-Qussair.

The United States and Russia have agreed to host a peace conference in Geneva, either this or next month, to explore ways to end the 27-month conflict in Syria.

The United Nations said the conflict has killed some 80,000 people.