UNSC Concerned By Dispersion Of Terrorists During Turkey's Operation In Syria - President

Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published October 17, 2019 | 12:50 AM

UNITED NATIONS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 17th October, 2019) The United Nations Security Council adopted a unanimous statement warning that Turkey's military operation in northern Syria could lead to the dispersion of terrorists and further harm to the humanitarian situation in the area, the council's current president South African Ambassador Jerry Matjila said on Wednesday.

"The council expressed deep concern over the risk of dispersion of terrorists from UN-designated groups and are also very concern over the risk of a further deterioration of humanitarian situation in Syria," Matjila told reporters.

Earlier in the day, the Security Council convened for a closed-door meeting on Turkey's Syria offensive at the request of the body's European Union states, Germany, Britain, France, Belgium and Poland.

Matjila said that the Security Council received briefings on the situation in the country's northeast by UN Assistant Secretary-General for middle East, Asia and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock.

Turkey launched a military offensive on October 9 to clear its Syria-facing border area of Islamic State terrorist organization (banned in Russia) fighters and Kurdish militia. Ankara also said it hopes to establish a safe zone to relocate a portion of some 3.6 million Syrian refugees from Turkish territory.

The international community has urged Ankara to halt the offensive including Russia and Iran who are co-guarantors with Turkey of the Syrian ceasefire. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom have already imposed arms embargos against Turkey while the United States and several other countries have imposed or have threatened to impose sanctions and other economic and political measures.

According to the latest numbers by the United Nations, the escalation of hostilities had already displaced at least 160,000 people in northern Syria.