UN Secretary-General 'Following Closely' Latest Escalation in Syria

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following closely the latest escalation of hostilities in Syria and reminding all parties to the conflict that they have to adhere to the international law, Stephane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN chief, said in a statement.

"The Secretary-General is following closely the alarming military escalation throughout Syria and the dangerous spillover across its borders. The latest events come as the Syrian people suffer through one of the most violent periods in nearly seven years of conflict. Over 1,000 civilian casualties from airstrikes were reported in the first week of February alone," the statement issued on Saturday said.

According to Dujarric, the UN chief is reminding all parties to the conflict that they must "abide by international law and relevant Security Council resolutions."

"The Secretary-General further calls on the parties to move swiftly toward a political solution, in line with Security Council Resolution 2254, which is the only way to end the violence and the terrible suffering of the Syrian people," the statement read.

Earlier on Saturday, the Israeli army said its helicopter brought down an Iranian drone and struck Iranian targets in Syria, resulting in response fire from the Syrian air defense systems. In the second-wave attack, the Israeli forces struck 12 targets in Syria, including Syrian air defense batteries and Iranian military facilities, the country's Defense Forces said.