UN Chief appeals to avoid escalating Syrian crises

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on the international community to avoid actions which could escalate the crisis in Syria and "deepen the suffering of its people."

"The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. I call on the members of the Security Council to unite and exercise that responsibility. I urge all Member States to show restraint in these dangerous circumstances and to avoid any acts that could escalate the situation and worsen the suffering of the Syrian people," Guterres said in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

"There's an obligation, particularly when dealing with matters of peace and security, to act consistently with the Charter of the United Nations and with international law in general. The UN Charter is very clear on these issues," he added.

His remarks came hours after the United States, France and Britain launched military strikes targeting sites associated with the country's chemical weapons capabilities.

United States President Donald Trump, in an address, announced that he ordered precision strikes in Syria in retaliation for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's chemical attack on Syria's rebel-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta on April 7.